York Minster

York Minster stands in the heart of York, a city in North Yorkshire. It is an Anglican cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office in the Church of England. The minster serves as the mother church for the Diocese of York and the Province of York. Its history begins with a wooden church built in 627 to baptise King Edwin of Northumbria. The current structure contains reused fabric from about 1160, though most of it was built between 1220 and 1472. The building blends Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular Gothic styles across its transepts, nave, chapter house and eastern arm. The minster is notable for its medieval stained glass, much of which survives intact. The Great East Window, depicting the Last Judgment, is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass anywhere in Europe. The Five Sisters window in the north transept rises over 53 feet and is filled with grisaille glass. The undercroft preserves remnants from the 12th century, while the chapter house dates from the late 13th century. The cathedral’s long history includes rebuilding after fires in 1137 and 1840, and damage from the English Civil War. Visitors find a vast cathedral interior with a high vaulted nave and a wide chapter house. The eastern arm holds the high altar above a reconstructed 12th-century undercroft. The central tower, rebuilt after its 1407 collapse, rises above the crossing. The surrounding precincts include Dean’s Park to the north. The minster remains a working place of worship and a major landmark in York’s historic centre.