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An Apollonaut travel guide
The place behind the stone.
A king’s baptism, generations of builders and centuries of worship offer several ways into the story of York Minster.
On this page
A church for a king
A wooden church was built on the site in 627 for the baptism of Edwin, King of Northumbria. Part of the headquarters of the Roman fortress lay beneath the later Minster.
York Minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York and remains a working cathedral of the Church of England, with services every day.
A Gothic cathedral
The present building was begun in about 1230 and completed in 1472. Its Chapter House, finished before 1296, has no central column, and its Great East Window of 1405 to 1408 is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country.
Fires in 1829, 1840 and 1984 damaged parts of the building, and each was followed by repair.
A protected landmark
York Minster is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument.
This history belongs to the place and the people who shaped it and who worship there today. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
