Comedian Dom Joly went viral last week after blasting the ‘mental’ price of a ticket to Warwick Castle.
In a hilarious clip posted to Facebook outside Warwickshire’s 11th century tourist attraction, Joly shared his astonishment after trying to buy a ticket on the door.
He said: ‘So I was going to look at Warwick Castle, but unbelievably the tickets [are] thirty-nine quid! To get in and look at a castle! F*** that.
‘Prices in England have just gone mental. People think you can just charge anything and people will go. Enough’s enough. F*** you.’
Unless you’ve pre-booked, an adult ticket to Warwick Castle has gone from £25.20 in 2016 to £39 in 2024 – more than a 50 per cent increase.
And, as MailOnline’s interactive chart reveals, Warwick Castle isn’t the only tourist hotspot that has surged in price over the last decade.
For example, on-the-day admission to Alton Towers in Staffordshire for a day has increased from £48 in 2014 to a eye-watering £68 today.
MailOnline scoured tourism websites to pick 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 past on-the-day admission prices, MailOnline looked at social media posts, news articles and Trip Advisor reviews from the last decade.
We also used the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, the online library that captures historical snapshots of millions of webpages – including past prices of tourist attractions as listed on their website.
On the rare occasion that past price depended on season, MailOnline selected the current time of year (and the time of Joly’s visit) – October.
Overall, London Eye was found to have the biggest price hike over time – from £19.35 in 2015 to £42 in 2024, which is a jump of 117 per cent.
York Castle (Museum), meanwhile, saw an increase of 78 per cent – from £9.50 in 2014 to £17 today.
Three of the sites – Warwick Castle, the London Eye and Alton Towers – charge an inflated price on the door if you haven’t booked ahead.
‘Rip off’: In the clip posted to Facebook, Joly shares his astonishment after trying to buy a ticket on the door of Windsor Castle
All three are operated by British company Merlin Entertainments, which told MailOnline the ‘vast majority’ of its guests book online in advance – less than 1 per cent for Alton Towers and 15 per cent for the other two.
Currently, a one-day entry adult ticket to Warwick Castle is £39 if you rock up on the day like Joly did, while for those who pre-book it’s £22.
Meanwhile, 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 clip, which has been shared over 1,500 times, many users seemed to agree with his verdict that England is a ‘ridiculously expensive country’.
One Facebook user replied: ‘Brilliant, saying what we are all thinking!!!’
Another posted: ‘Absolutely nailed it this country charges us what it likes and us mugs pay it energy bills, shopping bills, fuel, taxes.’
Yet another simply said: ‘£39? Should be a fiver.’
Someone else said: ‘Merlin entertainment own it and have turned it into an amusement park with prices to match. Total disregard for the rich historical value of the castle. Such a shame.’
Currently, a one-day entry adult ticket to Warwick Castle is £39 if you rock up on the day like Joly did, while for those who pre-book it’s £22
However, others seemed to disagree with Joly, saying: ‘I think unless you’ve actually been you should probably reserve judgement.’
Someone also said: ‘Warwick Castle is an amazing attraction especially if you have kids.’
In a statement to MailOnline, a Merlin spokesperson said: ‘We regularly review our pricing structure and admission prices to ensure we continue to deliver the best possible value and experience for our guests and we are constantly looking at how we 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 choosing off-peak periods, when prices are reduced.
‘Many guests also secure further discounts by purchasing combination tickets for multiple attractions, along 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 account for inflation and rising operational costs.
‘Concessions are available for young people (18-24) and visitors with disabilities, while children (5-17) go half price and under-fives go free.
‘Admission prices include a complimentary multimedia tour in nine languages, and visitors can convert their ticket into a 1-Year Pass which gives 12 months’ free re-admission.
For the London Eye, owned by Merlin Entertainments, an adult ticket booked pre-online costs from £29
‘Royal Collection Trust is a registered charity, and income generated from admissions contributes directly to the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and to ensuring that the Royal Collection and Palaces can be valued and enjoyed by everyone through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes.’
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) – which manages Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace – said its ‘financial position was badly impacted by the pandemic’.
‘Similarly, recent inflation has meant we have been facing increasing costs,’ the HRP spokesperson added.
‘We are aware of the financial pressures many people are facing today, and so we have been focused on increasing the discounted access we provide, including the introduction of a £1 ticket scheme.
‘Hampton Court Palace is cared for by Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity that receives no regular funding from the government or the Crown.’
York Museums Trust, which operates York Castle properties, said today’s £17 admission fee for the museum lets people visit again for the next 12 months.
A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘The price charged in 2014 was for a single visit, today the ticket lasts a year.
‘Quite a few of our visitors will return several times in the year, for example, to see our Christmas decorations.
Warwick Castle is one of multiple popular tourist attractions that force people to pay an inflated price if they have not booked ahead – as Joly found
‘We also offer a range of discounts and free tickets, including free entry for York resident children.’
An Eden Project spokesperson 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 accessible for 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 headline admission price across all our ticket categories did not increase for this financial year and our admission tickets and local passes each grant unlimited entries to the Eden Project for twelve months.
‘Children under the age of five can visit for free and those on 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 throughout the year.
‘Community and key worker groups, such as NHS and emergency services staff and teachers, are entitled to special discounts.
‘Every penny spent with the Eden Project goes towards delivering our charitable initiatives.’
MailOnline also approached representatives for Kew Gardens and Blenheim Palace.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .