York Minster

About

Since the 7th century, the Minster has been at the centre of Christianity in the north of England and today remains a thriving church rooted in the daily offering of worship and prayer. The Minster was built for the glory of God. Every aspect of this ancient building - from the exquisite, handcrafted stone through to the unrivalled collection of medieval stained glass - tells the story of Jesus Christ. We invite you to discover this sacred place and the love of God at its heart, which has attracted people from across the globe for more than 1000 years.  

The Minster is available to explore again with new measures in place to become as safe as possible since the outbreak of Covid-19.

They have the official Standard and Charter Mark of Visit England to let you know that they are ‘Good To Go’ to opening and adhere to Government and public health guidance.

Pre-booking is now required and can be done so by clicking here. This is to ensure the building does not reach capacity and will allow physical distancing.

Inside the building there is a one way system and hand-sanitiser stations are available, as is the use of their toilets.

On your route you will be able to discover:

The Nave; a vast space dating back to 1291 which took around 60 years to complete. The space has some of the finest examples of medieval stained glass in the country, and is dominated by the Great West Window, which contains the Heart of Yorkshire in its tracery.

The Chapter House; one of the cathedral’s architectural gems, this octagonal space dates from the 1280s and its magnificent, vaulted ceiling is the earliest example of its kind to use a revolutionary engineering technique for support, using timbers in the roof instead of a central column. The space contains some of the Minster’s finest carvings and in 1297 was used as the location for the Parliament of King Edward I.

The Great East Window; the single largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country is now fully restored to its original glory after a decade of restoration work. Created between 1405 and 1408 it tells the story of the beginning and end of all things, from creation to the apocalypse. A favourite for those the world over.

And much more…

Services continue to take place daily and all are welcome to these free of charge.

Your original ticket will gain you access to the building as many times as you like for upto 16 months of purchase, and all York Residents + Children Under 16 get in free all year round.
You will need to book a time-slot online each time you re-visit. 

For all info, safety measure, and to book, visit YorkMinster.org


York Minster Shop
The Minster Gift Shop stocks gifts, cards, calendars, prints, jewellery & much more. Open daily as part of your visit or online at Shop.YorkMinster.org