Outrageous ticket costs at London churches?

How much would you expect to pay to tour a cathedral? For many visitors, the answer is "It's a church, shouldn't it be free?" But that's certainly not the case in London. Entry to Westminster Abbey? £16 ($26). St. Paul's Cathedral costs £12.50 ($20). Smaller churches aren't quite as pricey. St. Martin-in-the-Fields lets visitors tour for free; St. Clement Danes church is also gratis.

To be fair, the big London religious sites do admit worshipers free for services. And the wear and tear of all the other visitors does impose operating costs on the historic buildings, which is part of the reason for the ticket costs.