York Minster seen from within and outside the medieval city walls. The photograph at right shows the Minster behind Bootham Bar, some part of which might date to the 1100s. The view here is from outside the Art Gallery. Photographs 2019. Click on images to enlarge them.
York Minster on a rainy day in 1977.
According to York Minster's own rich website, the cathedral's history can be traced back to a series of early medieval churches, but the present structure began in 1220 when Archbishop Walter de Gray and the Dean and chapter decided to rebuild the Norman minster "on a scale to rival Canterbury." The transepts were constructed during the next 30 years, and the rebuilding continued for 250 years! The chapter decided to replace the nave around 1280, and this work took more than half a century, in part because of the epidemic of Black Death (bubonic plague) in 1349. Part of the central tower collapsed in 1407 while work on the eastern part of the church continued. During the fifteenth century national politics deeply affected the Minister and its clergy, as did Henry VIII's breaking away from the Catholic church.
York Minster seen from several places in the city. The church dominates the city skyline, towering above many roofs. Photographs 2019. Click on images to enlarge them. The photograph at right was taken from the King's Manor path on the way to the Museum Gardens. On the left are the white front and side walls of the De Grey Rooms.
York Minster seen across the wide Lendal Bridge over the River Ouse and behind a Victorian red brick structure. A tower belonging to St Wilfrid's Catholic Church appears at the left.
Related Material
- "A Prospect of York Minster from the City Walls" (poem by Colin Price)
- The Minster: some views of the interior
- The painted ceiling of the Chapter House
- The Chapter House, restored by Sydney Smirke
- York Minster and Chapter House in the rain
- West front (Victorian engraving)
Photographs by George P. Landow 1977, 2019. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web project or cite it in a print one.]
Related Web Resources
- The Cathedrals's own excellent site, which includes a detailed history, tour, and bibliography.
Created 20 April 2019
Last modified 19 March 2022