Southwell Minster, USA News (Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom): A 900-year-old Nottinghamshire cathedral is at risk of closure, with its dean warning it will run out of money to fund its daily operations next year. Southwell Minster, which dates back to 1108, is facing an uncertain future, with its dean, the Very Rev Dr Stephen Evans, warning the cathedral will run out of money to fund its daily operations next year. Funding concerns had been raised by a previous dean in 2012 and a “significant” deficit was reported last year. However, Dr Evans has now admitted that if “something major doesn’t change”, then the cathedral will run out of money.
Dr Evans told The Times: “With the roof of the cathedral…not only does water now fall onto the congregation every time it rains but the world famous Leaves of Southwell, the wonderful 13th century stone carvings that are the finest in Europe, are now at risk because [of] water. We have had to disconnect most of the lighting around the cathedral, which means our pathways are now not lit at night so they become dangerous. This week we’re taking down just one tree, which is costing us almost £20,000 because no tree works have been done across the estate for a very, very long time. Just making the estate safe is a huge task. A fortnight or so ago I met with the congregation and explained that things were pretty grim, that if something major doesn’t change then in 2027 we will run out of money.”
Constructed during the reign of Henry I, the minster survived the 1471 plague outbreak in Southwell and a ransacking by parliamentary and Scottish forces during the English Civil War in 1646. When Dr Evans took over as dean in April, he knew about the cathedral’s financial issues; however, he did not expect the scale of the deficit. The financial accounts for 2023-24 had been submitted 156 days late and no accounts had been filed for 2024-25. While attempting to audit the cathedral’s finances to complete the 2025 accounts, staff at the church realised the extent of the crisis.
Dr Evans said the cathedral needs £20million just to catch up on repair work that has “been accumulating over decades”. The cathedral applied for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund, but its bid was unsuccessful, leaving it still needing £220,000 to complete the most urgent work. Dr Evans said: “There are about a dozen cathedrals in not dissimilar situations to Southwell. I think we just happen to be the first that reached the point of no return.” If the cathedral does run out of money, the governing chapter of the cathedral would be dissolved, the keys handed to the diocese and the doors possibly closed.
It comes just days after a report warned the Church of England is careering towards financial ruin, driven by net-zero targets and slavery reparations. The report, written by Canon Robin Gill and Prof John Craven, argues that “extravagant” projects are deepening the institution’s financial issues, with 37 out of 42 dioceses now running budget deficits. This is more than double the 18 dioceses recorded in 2019. The report identifies the Church’s carbon reduction plans and Project Spire, a £100m investment fund designed to atone for historical links to the slave trade, as “costly” schemes that churchgoers regard as “unrealistic, extravagant, unsustainable and deeply depressing”. Only “ruthless” reforms, the authors contend, can stem a deepening crisis characterised by falling attendance, shrinking donations and declining ordinations. The Church of England welcomed the “wide-ranging and thoughtful” report, noting that resources and regional structures are kept under review while safeguarding critical child protection and policing roles.
