"YORK MINSTER" York by joanj

No title page for York would be without a photograph of the Minster.

York Minster's official name is the Metropolitical and Cathedral Church of St. Peter. It is the Mother Church of the Northern Province of the Church of England, with the Archbishop of York as its Primate. It is both a Cathedral and a Minster. A Cathedral because it is a church with a bishop's or archbishop's throne and a Minster because it was in Saxon times, as now, served by a team of clergy.

York Minster is the largest Medieval Gothic church in England. It measures 534 ft (160m) long and 249ft (76m) wide across the transepts. The height from floor to vault is 90ft (27m), the twin west towers are approx 174ft (53m) high and the lantern tower is 197ft (60m) high.

The Minster suffered two fires in the 19th Century. In February 1829 Jonathan Martin set fire to the choir stalls and the choir was completely burnt out. Only two of the 15th Century canopied stalls were not totally destroyed.

The second fire was in 1840 when a workman left a candle burning in the south-west tower. The tower burned, the bells crashed to the ground and the nave suffered severe damage.

The latest fire in the Minster happened during a freak summer storm in 1984. Lightening was the most likely cause, and the whole roof of the south transept was consumed by flames. The replacing of the roof was completed in 1986, and the inner vault with its 68 carved bosses two years later. The restored transept was rededicated in the presence of H.M. The Queen in 1988.

Unfortunately with my small camera I could not capture the whole of the building in one frame, so have took several frames and will put them in the Travelogue.

More text will follow