Southwell Minster dean warns cathedral could run out of money in 2027

Right · 2The dean of Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire, the Very Rev Dr Stephen Evans, has warned that the cathedral will run out of money next year, putting it at risk of closure. 1 2 Right · 2Speaking to The Times, Evans said he told the congregation about a fortnight ago that "if something major doesn’t change then in 2027 we will run out of money". 1 2 Right · 2The minster dates to 1108, in the reign of Henry I, and is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham; it is known for the 13th-century stone carvings called the Leaves of Southwell. 2 1

Right · 1Evans described a leaking roof that lets water fall on the congregation whenever it rains and puts the Leaves of Southwell at risk, and said most of the lighting around the cathedral has been disconnected, leaving pathways unlit and dangerous at night. 1 Right · 2He said removing one tree this week would cost almost £20,000 because no tree work had been done across the estate for a very long time, and that the cathedral needs £20 million to catch up on repairs accumulated over decades. 1 2 Right · 2Evans became dean in April and knew of the financial problems but not the scale of the deficit; the 2023-24 accounts were submitted 156 days late and none have been filed for 2024-25, and staff realised the extent of the shortfall while trying to audit the finances for the 2025 accounts. 1 2

Right · 2Funding concerns were raised by a previous dean in 2012 and GB News reports a "significant" deficit was recorded last year. 1 2 Right · 1GB News reports that a bid to the Places of Worship Renewal Fund failed, leaving £220,000 still needed for the most urgent work, and that the cathedral has appealed to the church's finance chiefs for emergency funding. 1 Right · 1Evans said about a dozen cathedrals are in similar situations and that Southwell happened to be the first to reach "the point of no return"; if money ran out, GB News says, the chapter would be dissolved, the keys handed to the diocese and the doors possibly closed. 1

Right · 2Both outlets set the story beside a report by Canon Robin Gill and Prof John Craven saying 37 of 42 dioceses run budget deficits, against 18 in 2019, and blaming net-zero targets and slavery reparations; the Church of England welcomed the report as "wide-ranging and thoughtful" and defended safeguarding posts as vital. 1 2