York Minster
I have been visiting York Minster (also known as St Peter’s) for as long as I can remember. It has a physical presence which towers over the city of York. This Gothic cathedral has dominated the skyline for hundreds of years and is one of the largest in Northern Europe.
There has been a church on this site since the 7th century, the first being a small wooden structure and was used for the baptism of the Anglo-Saxon monarch King Edwin of Northumberland. A stone structure replaced the wood one, but this was destroyed in the year 1069 when a fire ripped through the building.
The site of the minster has always been an important one for York, as the remains of the Basilica, the ceremonial centre of the Roman fortress was found beneath the minster building.
The Normans began the building of the Minster we see today, which begun in 1080 and completed in 1100, though the only remnants of that building can be found underneath in the undercroft museum.
Over the following centuries the Minster was enlarged and renovated. By 1472 the Minster was complete, with the addition of the north and south transepts, the nave, the Lady Chapel, the Quire and the western towers.
Today York Minster is the crown jewel of historic York. In addition to admiring its beautiful architecture and imposing proportions, visitors can explore the undercroft to see ancient Roman and Norman ruins, and or climb the 275 steps of the central tower for great views of the city.
Another facet of the Minster are its beautiful stained glass windows which date from the 12th century. The newly restored 15th century Great East Window has the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country and the St Cuthbert Window on the south transept was made in c.1440 and is one of the largest surviving narrative windows in Europe.
There are many fine statues within the Minster, but the Quire screen is a masterpiece in itself. The screen includes fifteen expressive carved stone kings ranging from William the Conqueror to Henry VI, seven to the left and eight to the right.
Restoration of this beautiful building is a continuous ongoing process, It takes a multidisciplinary team of skilled heritage craftspeople and experts in their field to maintain and care for the ongoing cycle of repair, restoration, conservation and development of York Minster, its ancient buildings and monuments. During 2022 the Minster created ‘The Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management’ and will, by 2024 establish the York Minster Precinct as a world class campus facility for research, education, and training in ancient craft skills, thus safeguarding these vital skills for future generations.
The Minster is open from Monday – Saturday 9.30am – 4.00pm and Sunday 12.45pm – 3.15pm.
Free guided tours are available.
Please click on the picture below to expand the gallery. I will be adding more images throughout 2023.
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