Tourist attractions in Britain, including the London Eye, Alton Towers and Hampton Court, have risen in price by a whopping 117% in the past decade, an interactive graph shows – while Dom Joly’s ‘mental’ price of Warwick Castle blows up
Comedian Dom Joly went viral last week after inflating the ‘mental’ price of a ticket to Warwick Castle.
In a hilarious video posted to Facebook outside the 11th century Warwickshire tourist attraction, Joly shared his surprise after trying to buy a ticket at the door.
He said: ‘So I wanted to watch Warwick Castle but incredibly the tickets cost thirty-nine pounds! To come in and see a castle! F*** that.
‘Prices in England have just gone crazy. People think you can just charge for anything and people will go. Enough is enough. Damn.’
Unless you’ve booked in advance, an adult ticket to Warwick Castle has risen from £25.20 in 2016 to £39 in 2024 – an increase of more than 50 percent.
And as MailOnline’s interactive graph shows, Warwick Castle isn’t the only tourist hotspot to have risen in price over the past decade.
For example, day admission to Alton Towers in Staffordshire has risen from £48 in 2014 to an eye-watering £68 today.
MailOnline searches tourism websites to select 10 of the most popular English tourist attractions, including Warwick Castle.
The other nine were York Castle, Windsor Castle, Kew Gardens, Tower of London, Alton Towers, Blenheim Palace, the London Eye, Hampton Court Palace and the Eden Project.
To compare entry prices on the day, MailOnline looked at social media posts, news articles and Trip Advisor reviews from the past ten years.
We also used the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, the online library that captures historical snapshots of millions of web pages, including past prices of tourist attractions as listed on their website.
In the rare instance where the price has depended on the season in the past, MailOnline selected the current time of year (and the time of Joly’s visit) – October.
Overall, it was found that the London Eye had the biggest price increase over time, from £19.35 in 2015 to £42 in 2024, which is an increase of 117 percent.
York Castle (Museum), meanwhile, saw a 78 percent increase – from £9.50 in 2014 to £17 today.
Three of the locations – Warwick Castle, the London Eye and Alton Towers – charge a high price at the door if you haven’t booked in advance.
‘Rip off’: In the clip posted to Facebook, Joly shares his surprise after trying to buy a ticket at the door of Windsor Castle
All three are managed by British company Merlin Entertainments, which told MailOnline that the “vast majority” of its guests book in advance online – less than 1 percent for Alton Towers and 15 percent for the other two.
Currently a day ticket to Warwick Castle for adults costs £39 if you turn up on the day like Joly did, while for those who book in advance it is £22.
Meanwhile, the London Eye and Alton Towers start ‘from £29’ depending on the date you choose – but if you arrive without a booking it’s £42 and £68 respectively.
In response to Joly’s Facebook clipwhich has been shared more than 1,500 times, many users seemed to agree with his assessment that England is a ‘ridiculously expensive country’.
One Facebook user replied: ‘Brilliant, we say what we all think!!!’
Another wrote: ‘It absolutely worked, this country asks us what it wants and we pay it utility bills, groceries, fuel and taxes.’
Yet another simply said: ‘£39? Must be a fiver.’
Someone else said: ‘Merlin entertainment owns the park and has turned it into an amusement park with prizes to match. Total disregard for the rich historical value of the castle. Such a shame.’
Currently a day ticket to Warwick Castle for adults costs £39 if you turn up on the day like Joly did, while for those who book in advance it is £22.
Others, however, seemed to disagree with Joly, saying, “I think you should reserve judgment unless you’ve actually been there.”
Someone also said: ‘Warwick Castle is a great attraction, especially if you have children.’
In a statement to MailOnline, a spokesperson for Merlin said: ‘We regularly review our pricing structure and entry fees to ensure we continue to offer our guests the best possible value and experience and we are continually looking at how we can deliver this all year round.
‘To get the best deal, we recommend booking online in advance, taking advantage of our regular promotions and, if possible, opting for off-peak periods when prices are reduced.
‘Many guests can also enjoy further discounts by purchasing combination tickets for multiple attractions, together with our great value Merlin annual passes.’
Royal Collection Trust, which operates Windsor Castle, said in a statement: ‘A small price increase is applied each year to take account of inflation and rising operating costs.
‘Concessions are available for young people (18-24) and visitors with disabilities, while children (5-17) get half price and children under five go free.
‘Entry fees include a free multimedia tour in nine languages, and visitors can convert their ticket into a 1-year pass providing 12 months of free re-entry.
For the London Eye, owned by Merlin Entertainments, an adult ticket pre-booked online costs from £29
‘Royal Collection Trust is a registered charity, and income from admission fees contributes directly to the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and to ensure that the Royal Collection and Palaces can be appreciated and enjoyed by all through exhibitions , publications, loans and educational activities. programs.’
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) – which manages the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace – said its “financial position has been heavily impacted by the pandemic”.
“Similarly, recent inflation has meant we have been experiencing rising costs,” the HRP spokesperson added.
‘We are aware of the financial pressures many people are facing today, which is why we have focused on increasing the discounted access we offer, including introducing a £1 ticketing system.
‘Hampton Court Palace is maintained by Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity which receives no regular funding from the Government or the Crown.’
York Museums Trust, which operates the York Castle properties, said the current £17 entrance fee to the museum will allow people to re-enter over the next 12 months.
A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘The price charged in 2014 was for a single visit, today the ticket is valid for a year.
‘Many of our visitors return several times a year, for example to view our Christmas decorations.
Warwick Castle is one of many popular tourist attractions that force people to pay a high price if they haven’t booked ahead – as Joly discovered
‘We also offer a range of discounts and free tickets, including free entry for children living in York.’
A spokesperson for the Eden Project said its visitors get ‘great value for money’, adding: ‘We understand that the cost of living is a major challenge for many of our visitors and our ticket prices are designed to ensure that a visit to the Eden Project is as affordable as possible. accessible to as many people as possible.
‘We always recommend anyone planning a visit to the Eden Project to book online to guarantee the best price and secure their chosen entry slot.
‘The main ticket price for all our ticket categories has not increased this financial year and our tickets and local passes each provide unlimited access to the Eden Project for twelve months.
‘Children under five can visit for free and children with Universal Credit can visit for just £5 per adult and £1 per child.
‘Eden Project tickets are priced consistently, with no seasonal increases, to ensure everyone gets the same memorable experience all year round.
‘Community groups and key groups of workers, such as NHS and emergency services staff and teachers, are entitled to special discounts.
“Every penny spent with the Eden Project goes towards achieving our charitable initiatives.”
MailOnline also contacted representatives from Kew Gardens and Blenheim Palace.