York Minster Stoneyard to top out pinnacles

The Acting Dean and Canon Chancellor of York Minster, the Reverend Glyn Webster will join members of the York Minster Stoneyard on the roof of York Minster Tuesday 18 September at 1:00pm to mark the completion of the North Quire pinnacles with a ‘topping out’.

The completion of the North Quire pinnacles allows the conserved St William Window to be revealed for the first time in almost 15 years.

Rebecca Thompson, Superintendent of Works, said, “This has been an interesting project over the last three years and in an area that not many people have had a chance to view the craftsmanship.”

Originally built in the late 14th Century, the pinnacles were renewed during the rebuilding of the Quire parapet walls in the early 1830’s following the 1829 fire, which destroyed the entire roof and damaged a substantial amount of the stonework. When possible, original designs were copied; however, one of the new carvings features St William as he is depicted in the window.

The St William Window is one of the most important pieces of medieval stained glass in the world, illustrating the miracles of St William of York and was created by John Thornton around the start of the 15th Century. The project took ten years to clean and reveal the beauty of the window and was completed in 2007.

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Notes to the Editors: To arrange access to the topping out ceremony or for images, contact Lisa Sinclair: 0844 939 0014 ext. 2480 or 07785 615457.