In another article we looked at the outside and from the roof of York Minster. Of course all that history and more involves a lot on the inside. The grandness and hugeness continues the minute you step foot within. The first thing I find, and what others do for the first few minutes is tilt head back naturally and stare around in quiet fascination.
There are some remarkable and notable things in the Minster that individually can bring tourists to see in their own right. The below picture contains the East Window that stands at 76 foot (23 metres). Completed in the 15th century by John Thornton. The largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world!
Below is the Rosetta that dates back to the 1200s. The stained glass was added later in the 1400s in honour of the Tudor dynasty at the end of the War of The Roses.
It is quite incredible to see the height and scale from the inside. To get in it costs £10.. but that ticket is valid to use as much as you please for 12 months! An extra fiver if you want to go to the tower roof as I explained in the last post. As this was a passing through visit for me, and I only had an hour or so I can tell you that I nowhere near scratched the surface of what I wanted to see and learn about. It is that big with details and history in every corner and on every surface it seems.
A tip I would give, after taking in the initial awe, is to head first.. downwards to the undercroft. Underneath is a whole series of galleries and exhibitions that you will fail not to learn from. Sections of the old Roman stonework, long hidden is revealed from beneath the Minster. Displays and artifacts from Archbishops down the centuries. Films, explanations and a concise yet easily absorbed history of the area pre Cathedral up until today.
I wanted to see more but unfortunately York is not a see all in one day place. There were a couple more stops to make.. Next posts back outside.
