Howden Minster

Howden Minster stands in the small town of Howden in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is a large Grade I listed church, dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, and one of the biggest churches in the region. The site has held a church since Anglo-Saxon times, though most early remains have vanished. Norman elements survive in the north transept, while later medieval builders left a grand collegiate church. The minster’s history is tied to the bishops of Durham, who owned the manor and supported its development. After the Reformation it became a parish church, though parts fell into ruin over the centuries. The minster is worth visiting for its layered architecture and the stories behind its construction. The first major campaign began in the 1260s under Canon John of Howden, who funded the choir before dying in 1272. Later campaigns added the nave, south porch and west front, with clerestory work completed by about 1311. A grander choir was built between 1320 and 1335, followed by an octagonal chapter house begun in 1380. Walter Skirlaw, bishop of Durham, paid for the 41-metre crossing tower, completed after his death. The ruined east end shows how the church declined after the college was dissolved in the 16th century. Visitors find a mix of standing fabric and atmospheric ruins. The transepts and crossing still stand from the first campaign, with simple arcades and large traceried windows. The nave has six bays, higher arcades and a later clerestory with quatrefoil motifs. The west front shows four turrets and details borrowed from York Minster. The ruined choir is walled off but visible from outside, while the octagonal chapter house has a new roof. The tower and crossing were restored after a 1929 fire, and the nave arcade was repaired in the 19th century. The minster remains open as a parish church, with the ruins cared for by English Heritage.