York Minster

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About York Minster

York Minster is the cathedral of York and the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second office of the Church of England. It stands on the site of the Roman fortress headquarters and a church since 627. The present Gothic building took about 250 years to complete, from 1220 to 1472, and therefore mixes styles, from the early Gothic of the transepts to the Perpendicular of the choir. It is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe.

The stained glass is the highlight: the cathedral houses much of the medieval glass that survived in England. The Grande Janela Leste, finished in 1408 by glazier John Thornton, is roughly the size of a tennis court and depicts the beginning and end of the world, from Genesis to Revelation; it was restored through 2018. The Janela das Cinco Irmãs, in the north transept, has grisaille grey glass from the 13th century, and the Rosácea, in the south transept, commemorates the end of the Wars of the Roses.

The chapter house, octagonal and without a central column, has carvings of faces, animals and comic figures on the bases of the arcades. In the basement, the Undercroft area displays Roman and Norman foundations and the tower-strengthening work carried out in the 1960s and 1970s. The central tower, with 275 narrow steps, leads to the roof, with views over red roofs and the city walls.

As a working church, the Minster may close areas for services; on Sundays tourist access is limited. Evensong in the late afternoon can be attended without a ticket.