York Minster School

[mopsus]

These would suggest that might be the case.

https://www.networknorwich.co.uk/Articles/495301/Network_Norwich_and_Norfolk/Regional_News/Norwich/Norwich_News_2015_2018/Norwich_Cathedrals_finances_in_a_healthy_state.aspx

https://www.cathedral.org.uk/contact-us/living-in-the-close

https://www.savills.co.uk/people/sav...e-butcher.aspx

Certainly the Hostry building Norwich Cathedral added a few years ago with a new song room and conference centre facilities must have cost a fair bit, even though the Lottery paid for some of it. The Cathedral describes it as its largest building project in 900 years.

[oddoneout]

Certainly the Hostry building Norwich Cathedral added a few years ago with a new song room and conference centre facilities must have cost a fair bit, even though the Lottery paid for some of it. The Cathedral describes it as its largest building project in 900 years.

"largest building project" also includes the Refectory which was completed 2004 (Hostry 2009), an 11 year project to 'equip the Cathedral for the 21st century'.

[ardcarp]

I was looking at Westminster Abbey's annual report yesterday, because unlike the cathedrals, I can't recall them appealing for endowment funds or legacies.

I was surprised that 66% of their net income is derived from visitor admissions and their shop and cafe, with only 3% coming from endowments. They do have some reasonable reserves, and when you strip out expenditure on visitor services etc, leaving only "religious activities, choir & music, and upkeep" the situation doesn't look quite so bad in the short term.

One would hope Royal Peculiar status would give Westminster the odd dib from certain quarters.

Plans to raise income have caused problems at some cathedrals. A Dean of one (who/which shall remain nameless) wanted to capitalise on the Roman remains which are extensive but which are currently buried beneath the cathedral green. He proposed creating a major tourist attraction. Things didn't turn out well. Nuff said.

[mopsus]

"largest building project" also includes the Refectory which was completed 2004 (Hostry 2009), an 11 year project to 'equip the Cathedral for the 21st century'.

Indeed, so a very large capital project, albeit with the expectation that some of the new spaces will generate future revenue. A property endowment is useful, provided it's the right sort of property; both office and retail space are likely to be harder to let in future.

It may be instructive to consider which other Cathedrals have spent generously on new rehearsal facilities for their choirs. With the addition of girls and the need for more space, many have replaced these in recent years at significant cost. Chester for example (not a really major tourist destination), Exeter, St Edmundsbury come to mind. Also my local Cathedral of Wells, money being largely raised by the Friends of the Cathedral after whom the new building is named (although how they put up with the previous rehearsal facilities for so long is a mystery to me). Bath Abbey is planning to do so in the next phase of its Footprint project. Cathedrals which really need new facilities include Winchester (a plan to build on Dean Garnier's garden a decade ago was dropped) and Lichfield, which moved out of its former choir room a few years ago for health and safety reasons (and others which don't have anywhere sensible to base visiting choirs, but that is another matter). Open to correction/further information on any of these or others.

[Wolsey]

[...] It may be instructive to consider which other Cathedrals have spent generously on new rehearsal facilities for their choirs. [...] Bath Abbey is planning to do so in the next phase of its Footprint project.

It's in hand, by the looks of it.

[mopsus]

It's in hand, by the looks of it.

Glad to hear it - it's hard to tell what's going on behind all those hoardings. The old song room wasn't secure (visiting choirs had to be warned of the risk of theft) and there could be a real bottleneck getting in and out.

[Resurgam]

Reported in the paper that Wells is launching a public appeal to raise funds and Exeter will have to make people redundant after losing £800,000.