York Minster Reviews and Photos, York

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York Minster - the Heart and Soul of York

November 20, 2009
Rated 5 of 5 by happysh2009 from tu, United Kingdom

Advantages: magnificent architecture reflecting over a thousand years of history and religion.

Disadvantages: none that I can see.

As the King George VI said "The history of York is the history of England. I don’t know how right he was, but I would like to say the history of York Minster is the history of York indeed.

General information

York Minster is Northern Europe's largest remaining medieval church, also one of the world's great masterpieces in design and construction.

Back in AD 627 York's first Minster was built to christen the Anglo Saxon King, Edwin of Northumbria. It was originally a small wooden church, and then later rebuilt to be a bigger stone one. However it was badly damaged by fire in the year 1069 during the Norman period.

Around the year 1080 Normans started building a cathedral, which was completed 20 years later. It was built on the very site of the Saxon church. Incidentally near this place Constantine the Great was proclaimed Roman Emperor in AD 306.

In the 13th century people started to build the South and North transepts, and then the East end with the building of the Lady Chapel and the Quire. In 1472 the Western towers were added and the Minster finally completed to be the one we know today. That said the Minster had taken about 250 years to take its final shape.

It was a Catholic church until 1534. Now it is an Anglican working church as well as a popular tourist site. It is open daily except for the service times. As a tourist you can enter the Minster, Undercroft, Treasury, Crypt and Tower. Currently the entry prices to all these sites are £9.50 for adults, £3.00 for children and £8.00 for concessions. You can also choose single site or mixed sites to visit. Of course individual site prices will be lower. Do remember children under the age of 8 may not climb the Tower and people who suffer from vertigo should think twice.

What you can see

York Minster is very important within the Church of England. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York, who is the most prominent bishop after the Archbishop of Canterbury. As the second largest Gothic cathedral in Europe, it is 158 metres long and 60 metres high. Besides admiring the magnificent buildings there are certainly a lot of things to see. Here I have selected just a few that attracted me the most.

1. The Rose Window

The Rose Window is something that no visitor can fail to miss. It’s just at the front entrance and a stained glass window, which is considered to be the most beautiful window of the minster. It tells the story of the houses of York and Lancaster, who historically had fights for the crown and control of England and eventually were united under Henry VII.

2. The Great East Window

The Great Eastern Window is the largest single piece of stained glass in the world. It depicts the beginning and the end of the world based on biblical stories. It is almost the size of a tennis court and dates back to between 1405 and 1408. You really have to see it to believe it.

3. The Great West Window

The Great West Window is next to the nave, and is also known as the ‘Heart of Yorkshire’. This is due to the heart shaped scenes in the centre. It was constructed in 1338.

4. The Five Sisters Window

The Five Sisters Window is in the north transept and is made up of five rectangular glasses. It is over 16 metres tall and the earliest window to be built in the church.

5. The Screen

It’s the most impressive screen I've ever seen. Instead of religious figures the screen displays statues of 15 English kings; from William I to Henry VI.

6. The Undercroft, Treasury and Crypt

Walking down the stairs of the minster you will find skeletons of buildings that were on the site of the Minster before it was built. These include the remains of a Roman fortress as well as evidence of Viking and medieval constructions. You can also have a look at the collection of treasures.

7. The Tower

It is the largest church tower in England. That means you have to climb 275 steep steps to get the top. The views from the top by all means are breathtaking and outstanding. Walking along the tower you can see almost all of York, even more if the sky is clear. Not to mention the medieval streets and horse carriages down below that can take you back in time.

My opinions

Needless to say I’m very impressed with the beauty of the Minster, in particular the windows I mentioned earlier, the Screen and the Nave. In my inexperienced opinion York Minster and Westminster Abbey are of equal magnificence.

However when I was there in the late night I came across the visit of the Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux. Mingling with the thousand visitors and pilgrims in the spacious and bright palace I was really fascinated by the power of religion. It became the clearest memory of my trip to the Minster and the city of York.

Summary: A vital medieval cathedral strongly impressed me.

From journal Five places I have visited in York

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A Peaceful Few Hours

September 21, 2009
Rated 4 of 5 by Fiver29 from Barrow in Furness, United Kingdom

York Minster is a Christian church in York. It was at one point a Catholic church, but became part of the Church of England after Henry VIII broke away from the church way back in 1534.

As well as being a tourist attraction this is also a working church with regular Christian masses, it is also a Cathedral, which means it is the seat of the bishops for the York Diocese.

However, you don’t have to be a Christian or attend mass to visit and enjoy the Minster. You can visit just to take in the magnificence of the building.

Opening Times and Prices (Taken from the website for ease)

Monday - Saturday: open 9.00am (9.30am November- March);
last entry 5.00pm
Sunday: 12.00 noon - 3.45pm
No sightseeing on Good Friday and Easter Sunday
or on Sundays before 12.00 noon
____
Entry into the Minster
Adult: £6.00
Senior (60+)/student: £5.00
Children with family (16 and under): Free
____
Entry to the Undercroft, Treasury & Crypt
Adult: £4.00
Senior (60+)/student: £3.00
Child under 16: £2.00
____
Entry to the Tower:
Adult: £4.00
Senior (60+)/student: £3.00
Child (age 8 to 16): £2.00
____
Minster Plus Ticket:
Entry to the Minster and Undercroft, Treasury & Crypt
or
Entry to the Minster and Tower.
Adult: £8.00
Senior (60+)/student: £7.00
Children 16 or under with family: £2.00 each
____
Do Everything Ticket:
Entry to the Minster, Undercroft, Treasury and Crypt and Tower
Adult: £9.50
Senior (60+)/student: £8.00
Children 16 or under with family: £3.00 each
Children under the age of 8 may not climb the Tower

Attractions

Attractions might be the wrong word, because it conjures up images of theme parks and similar, but whilst the Minster might not be as exciting as a theme park, it certainly has a lot to attract people to it.

There are far too many items to mention here. So I will just try to select a few things that I enjoyed.

The Rose Window

Starting at the front entrance, the first thing to see is the Rose Window. This is a magnificent example of a stained glass window. It commemorates the joining of the houses of York and Lancaster, which any good Englishman knows caused quite a few ruckus’s in the past.

The Screen

This isn’t like any screen I’ve ever seen, it’s a marvellous screen with statues of 15 English kings, from William I to Henry VI.

The Great East Window

This is dated between 1405 and 1408, and it is the largest piece of medieval stained glass in a single window. The window depicts the beginning and the end of the world, with scenes taken from the Book of Genesis and the Book of Revelation.

The Chapter House

This is a circular room off the North Transept. Here you’ll find some wonderful carvings, and children will also enjoy the mini hunt they have. Which gives them clues to finding the carvings, so whilst the children and hunting, parents are able to read up on the information boards around the room.

The Great West Window

I couldn’t mention the Great East Window without mentioning its counterpart at the other side of the Minster. This window is also known as the "Heart of Yorkshire", because there looks to be a heart in the centre. It dates from 1338, and was paid for by Archbishop Melton. St Peter stands underneath the window, well not literally, but his statue stands there, St Peter of course is the Minster’s patron saint.

Jesse Window

The last of the windows I want to mention is the Jesse Window, this is close to the Great West Window and depicts the family tree of Jesus, showing Jesse, King David, Mary of course amongst other prophets.

Undercroft, Treasury and Crypt

As you will have seen by the pricing section, you have to pay extra to go down into the Undercroft, but it’s well worth it. Underneath the main Minster area you’ll find the remains of a Roman fortress, and there are also Viking and medieval carvings.

The Tower

Again this is an extra on the entrance fee, and I would love to tell you about it, but unfortunately as under 8’s aren’t allowed to climb up the Tower we weren’t able to visit. Although I’m sure my knees were quite pleased about that.

My Thoughts

These are just a few of the wonderful things to see in the Minster. Even if you’re not religions you can’t help but marvel at the work and detail that has gone into everything in this church.

I always recall on school trips the teacher drumming into us to ‘look up’, and you certainly need to do that here, there are so many things that you would miss if you didn’t look skywards. The ceilings are amazing, and all around the nave are carvings and shields.

There was a bit of restoration work going on when we visited, but you can expect that really, it must be hard work and take a lot of money to keep the Minster in good order, and the items in the church are certainly worth preserving.

Being a church it was nice and peaceful, and it was nice to just sit for a while and take in the surroundings. Even my children, who aren’t the most patient of kids, managed to sit and soak in the spirituality of it all.

You can either wander around by yourself, or you can take one of the guided tours. Or like us you can do both, take the tour and then spend more time in the areas you like the most.

You can probably tell by my choices of attractions that I love the stained glass windows, and they were my favourite part of the Minster. My children both enjoyed the Undercroft the best.

From journal A Few Days in Yorkshire

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York Minster

September 10, 2009
Rated 5 of 5 by debmercury from Lancashire, United Kingdom

I love york and whenever possible go for a weekend. Whilst there I always visit York Minster and usually stay in an Inn a few feet away directly facing the Minster. The first thing that strikes you is the size of it and the fabulous architecture (it's over 500 feet wide and has a central tower almost 200 feet high). Visitors come from all over the world to admire York Minster Cathedral.

Whilst you are looking around the Minster bear in mind it took over 250 years to complete and the only devices they had then were simple levers, pulleys and hoists. Lots of Masons and Carpenters spent their entire working lives just helping to construct York Minster.

In the year 306A.D. Constantine was proclaimed Emperor in a ceremony which took place on the sight of the future Minister, there is a statue of him looking very Imperial outside the Minster.

Over the years the Minster has had major repair and restoration works done and on most of our visits ongoing maintenance work is usually being carried out . It used to be free to visit the Minster but the upkeep of the Minster is so great that they now have to charge admission fees. By visiting the Minster and paying your admission fee you are helping to support the Minster.

Some of the features of the Minster:

The Nave
This is the widest Gothic nave in the country. Look for the heart shaped carving at the top of the great west window which is nicknamed the heart of Yorkshire.

Chapter house
Octagonal building which because of it's shape helped to provide good sound.

The East End
One of the last parts of the minister to be built. The East End has one of the largest medieval glass window in England.

The choir
Traditionally where services where sung.

The Tower
It's great to climb to the top of the tower but be careful the steps are steep and the stairway is very narrow and it's a fair climb and you may find yourself slightly out of breath when you get to the top. But the views at the top are worth it you can see for miles and miles and you also get a closer view of the architecture, I found York Minsters flying buttresses ( I think thats what they are called, photos of these below) really impressive.

North Transept
This is the oldest part of the present building and has the largest area of 'grisaille' glass to have survived anywhere in the world, it looks lovely and all the colours sparkle and shimmer when the sun is shining behind it.

The Aisles
Their are lots of Tombs and plaques which remember many notable figures from the past.

South Transept
This is one of the One of the earliest sections of the Minster to be built and is home to the beautiful rose window, this also looks magical with the sun shining behind it.

The Crypt
The Crypt is the earliest part of the minster to be built.

Foundations
Huge quantities of stone were quarried, this magnesium limestone weathers and cleans itself turning from white when first quarried to the lovely pale golden honey colour which is the colour we see today.

Although I love York Minster I have only been down in the foundations once. Whilst walking among the stone coffins which have been excavated from the walls (these look like large stone bath tubs and have a hole the same size as a plughole, we where told this is to allow the bodily fluids to drain away). I felt faint, icy cold and covered in goosebumps a really weird unexplainable feeling (I'm not supersticious and don't believe in ghosts-maybe it was the air quality down there who knows?). Although we always visit the Minster when in York. I have never been down in the foundations again, might be brave enough on our next visit.

I love the sound of the minster bells ringing. We were there once at christmas time and it was magical walking by the Minster at night time when the bells were ringing out Christmas carols. Also recently we have started to stay at the Guy Fawkes Inn which is a few feet away from the Minster and although not to everybodys taste you can hear the Minsters bells very loudly and clearly from here which I think is great.

If visiting the Minster you should be aware that the Minster is still a place of worship and sometimes when we have visited access to some areas has been restricted whilst services are taking place. Anybody is welcome to join in any of the daily services though.

Directions
Situated a few minutes walk from the city centre. Rail under two hours from London and Edingburgh. Road A64 leeds to York approx 208 miles from London.

E-mail: info @ yorkminster.org
Web:www.yorkminster.org

Admission

Entry to the Minster
£6 per person, free if you want to attend services or light a candle.
Senior (60+)/student: £5.00
Children with family (16 and under): Free

Entry to the Minster, Undercroft, Treasury and Crypt and Tower
Adult: £9.50
Senior (60+)/student: £8.00
Children 16 or under with family: £3.00 each

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York Minster Is the Number One Site in York

April 4, 2009
Rated 5 of 5 by NiceGinna from Evanston, Illinois

We found the Minster and entered (9 pounds for the 2 of us! - whew: $18!). It's huge - the largest medieval Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe - and impressive, but not that different from others we've seen. It's a cathedral because it's where the bishop has his 'seat'; it's a minster because it was founded as a missionary church. The first Minster in York was built in 627 AD.

From journal Three Busy Weeks or So in the United Kingdom

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