A Cathedral in the region is enjoying a visitor boom - but its dean is refusing to follow others by charging a compulsory entrance fee.

The Very Reverend John Methuen, Dean of Ripon, is critical of fixed admission charges at other cathedrals, including St Paul's, London, where, he says, a row of cash registers smacks of entering a Sainsbury's check-out.

The promotion of Ripon as a tourist centre resulted in 560,000 visitors being drawn to the city last year.

The figures were compiled by Ripon City Partnership which has been a regenerating force for the city.

Dean Methuen reckoned that 85 per cent of visitors to Ripon also visit the cathedral.

People visiting the cathedral are recommended to pay £3 for their visit, but the compulsory "turnstile" approach is still out of favour at Ripon.

"We have resisted charging on principle," said the dean.

He would like to charge people who visit the tower and take in a breathtaking view of the North Yorkshire countryside.

But so far, he has been thwarted by health and safety issues because of the tower's height and negotiation of the many steps to reach the top.

Likewise, the dean would also favour charging for a conducted tour and a specific visit to the treasury.

Dean Methuen said there had been a year-on-year increase in visitors to the cathedral, but it was difficult to put a specific figure on them because the minster's own counting process did not cover all entrances and was limited by time.

But he said the cathedral community in general was now geared up to welcome an increasing number of visitors, pilgrims and tourists.