York Minster is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe alongside the cathedral of Cologne. It is aslo one of the oldest, the first church on the site being built in 627 to provide a place of baptism for Edwin, King of Northumbria.
Around 630 AD, Oswald, Edwin’s successor and now venerated as a Christian saint, began a more ambitious period of work on the site and the new church was dedicated to Saint Peter. The building fell into disrepair however, and by 670 was in a dilapidated state. In the 8th century Saint Wilfrid coordinated efforts to repair and renew the structure, and the attached library and school were some of the most substantial in northern Europe at that time.
In 741 the church was destroyed in a fire but a rebuilding programme saw the construction of an impressive structure, containing thirty altars. From this point in history onwards, the church, as was the city of York, fell under the control of several invaders from Europe and historical records do not tell us alot until the beginning of the 10th century. The Minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England and during this period there was a series of Benedictine archbishops, including Ealdred, who travelled to Westminster to crown king William in 1066. Ealdred died in 1069 and is buried in the minster.
The church was again damaged in 1069 and repaired by the first Norman archbishop in 1070. Danish invaders destroyed much of the church in 1075, but it was rebuilt again around 1080, in the Norman style, the church now measuring 365 feet long. The Gothic style of cathedrals arrived in the mid 12th century and Walter de Gray, made archbishop in 1215, ordered the re-construction of the church in a Gothic style to compare with Canterbury cathedral. The north and south transepts were the first new structures, followed by an impressive central tower topped with a wooden spire. Construction continued into the 15th century.
The English Reformation introduced the first Anglican archbishop and caused the church to loose ownership of much of its land. Under queen Elizabeth I there was a concerted effort to remove all traces of the Roman Catholic Church from the cathedral, and during this period there was a great deal of looting of much of the cathedral’s treasures, as well destruction of tombs, windows, and altars. The English Civil War saw the city of York besieged by the forces of Oliver Cromwell in 1644, but Thomas Fairfax prevented any further damage to the cathedral.
Between 1730 to 1736 the whole floor of the Minster was replaced with marble, and from 1802 onwards there was a major restoration. In 1829 however, an arson attack by a non-conformist (Jonathan Martin) inflicted heavy damage on the east transcept, and left the nave, south west tower, and south aisle roofless, blackened shells. After these events the cathedral slumped into debt, and in the 1850s the daily services were suspended.
During the 20th century there has been a significant scheme of preservation work. A survey carried out in 1967 revealed that the central tower was close to collapse. Two million pounds was spent during 1972 to reinforce and strengthen the building foundations and roof. A fire in 1984 destroyed the roof in the south transept, and roughly £2.5 million was spent on repairs. In 2007 renovation began on the eastern front of the building, including the Great East Window, at a staggering cost of £23 million.