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Beverley Minster Explore Tours Ground Floor

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Beverley Minster Explore Tours Ground Floor

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Come and find out why this magnificent building is here, the dates, facts, architecture, monuments, carvings, plus stories, past and present, of the many people throughout history who worshipped here and were connected to this spiritual place.

03/06/2025

Like any great medieval church, the Minster was not a single place of worship but included a whole range of devotional sites. It had at least 16 altars as well as the high altar. Each of the 7 Canons were named after the altar of their parish, for the residents for whom they were responsible. The crafts and guilds also had their altars such as the creelers (textile workers), porters, painters, goldsmiths, taylors, cooks etc. The location of relatively few of these altars is known as they could be relocated and new ones created. It is believed that the remains of St. Martin's altar is on the end wall of the shop area. It must have been quite a busy place with the medieval citizens of Beverley crossing the nave and aisles to reach their chosen focus of dedication. Some of these altars and chantries saints are reflected in our street names - Saints:- John, Martin, Andrew, Anne, Ellen, Leonard and Thomas. Come and find out more on our tours for only £6 each on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. by booking with this link. https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Visit Beverley Two Churches One Town - Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

27/05/2025

Most of the military flags in the South transept Military Chapel area are retired and tradition is that they are laid up and left to deteriorate with age. The very small square one is believed to be the last colour that was taken into battle by the British military in the 2nd Afghanistan war.
When the flags fall from their pole, they are collected and put in a glass bottle for display.
"A moth-eaten rag on a worm-eaten pole,
It does not look likely to stir a man's Soul,
'Tis the deeds that were done 'neath the moth-eaten rag,
When the pole was a staff, and the rag was a flag." Sir Edmund Hamley.
There is so much more history for you to explore in Beverley Minster and no better way than to book for one of our guided tours for £6 each. These are held on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. Book a place here:- https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Two Churches One Town - Beverley Visit Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

23/05/2025

The Black Death in 1348-9 stopped building which did not start again, until probably as late as 1360, and was completed by the west towers in the early years of the 15th century. The miscaculations when finishing the nave were put right by the SW tower vaulting being narrower than the NW tower and you can notice the twisted vaulting. The specifications of the bells in these towers are in a frame to the right of the northwest tower door. A peal of 10 bells, finest in the country are in the NW tower. In the SW tower is Great John, rang for the death of a monarch and it is also the bell you can hear striking the hour. Saint Peter is a 2 ton prayer bell from 1308 reputed to be the oldest bell in the country. There is so much information on just the bells themseves and we can tell you more on one of our wonderful tours. Places are limited so do book soon https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Visit Beverley Two Churches One Town - Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

20/05/2025

All great medieval churches had many altars, and each would be dedicated to a different saint.
Each of the Minster canons would have had the care of a particular altar. One of the chiefs of these additional altars was the one in the Charnel House dedicated to St. Martin. The Charnel House was where the bones of the dead were stored when they had been dug up to make room for new burials in the churchyard. It was built onto the S.W. corner of the Minster – the differences in the buttresses and walls on the outside of the south tower show where it was attached. It stood 60 ft high by 70 feet wide with entry from the inside of the Minster only, and was pulled down in the Reformation along with the Chapter House to recoup the £100 that local merchants had found to buy the Minster so it could continue in use as their parish church. There were always 2 ‘parishes’ within the Minster. Our tour guides can give you many more interesting facts so come and join us on a Wednesday or a Saturday at only £6 each. Apply here:- https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Two Churches One Town - Beverley Visit Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

16/05/2025

The irregularity of the last part of the nave is quite distinctive and piers on the two sides are misaligned by about 18 inches. One suggestion is that it was the result of building around the old romanesque nave which was still in place. Some of the wall arches are different sizes and look quite out of shape. Some of the questions we are asked as tour guides include identifying stone statues, interior and exterior. We consult the books we have to hand and last week these came in handy with a question about the Highgate door statues showing Jesus crowned, now with glory and honour instead of a crown of thorns. The apostles are shown on either side. Visit us for a £6 tour on Saturdays and Wednesdays where our knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly guides can answer all your questions and if not we have ways of finding out the answers, in our many books, some of which are for sale in our shop. Secure your place here:- https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection/
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Visit Beverley Two Churches One Town - Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

13/05/2025

In the 1350s the curvilinear tracery (ornamental stone openwork) had become old fashioned. Rectilinear, a more straight lined style was in vogue. Piers, vaults and windows resembling stone cages, the architectural mode of cage-like windows can be seen in the West end. The mullions which rise without curve to the head of the windows are another feature. At the West end the decorated pattern ceases abruptly owing to the Black Death in 1349 onwards, and the perpendicular design can be seen in the work west of and including the North porch. The towers were built before Westminster Abbey adopted a similar style so when the TV series 'Victoria' was being made it was more convenient for the film companies to come here. Treat yourself to a tour on a Wednesday at 11am or a Saturday at 1pm for only £6. https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection/
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Visit Beverley Two Churches One Town - Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

09/05/2025

The bulk of the building is of magnesian limestone from the Tadcaster area. By the Highgate entrance if you look closely at the spaces in between the stones of the columns, you can often see some chalk like pieces. These are oyster shells that were used as spacers between the stones just as you would use plastic spacers when tiling a bathroom or kitchen today. Oyster shells were readily available in the marshy lakes around Beverley when the Minster was being built, other great churches also used oyster shells for this purpose. There is so much more to see and learn about our beautiful Minster. Our tour guides love sharing their knowledge. At £6 each you will be helping to keep the building in good repair. The tours are on Saturdays at 1 p.m., Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and tickets available using this link https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection/
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Visit Beverley Two Churches One Town - Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

06/05/2025

The later wooden screens in the quire area shield the light from the wall windows and so it is fortunate that the upper clerestory windows have not been filled with painted glass but allow clear light to flood in. A careful examination of the long columns of Purbeck marble around these windows shows many to be not circular but octagonal to assist in projecting light around the area. In later years gas lamps were in use and in 1985 the Friends of Beverley Minster installed new electric lighting for the upper and lower areas. Much of the brasswork on the lower level lights came from two old gasoliers which had been stored in the roof for many years and had originally been used to light the nave before electricity came along. Do come and visit especially for one of our fascinating tours at just £6 each on Wednesdays, Saturdays and bank holidays. Our friendly tour guides look forward to seeing you so book online with this link https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection/
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Visit Beverley Two Churches One Town - Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

02/05/2025

The tomb between the North Choir Aisle and the Chancel is the famous one. It was built in the 1340s and is recognised as one of the masterpieces of English Decorated stone carving. The Percy tomb canopy is an incomparably beautiful carved tribute to Lady Eleanor Percy, wife Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy. The family had one of their castles built here at Leconfield. As with much of the carving in the Minster, this is the work of the finest craftsmen of the time involving at least five carvers over several years and is regarded as the finest Decorated carving in Europe. The canopy is designed as an image of Heaven. The Percy shield is the one showing a single rampant lion. Above it is the royal shield including the fleur de lys which Edward lll adopted when he claimed to be King of France in 1337. It is this that gives us one limiting date for the age of the canopy. It is admired by so many of our visitors so come and see this for yourself, the detail is amazing. As well as our tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays we have one on the Monday bank holiday and still only £6 each. Check out the dates and times here https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection/
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Visit Beverley Two Churches One Town - Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

29/04/2025

The second phase of the building is in the Decorated style which consists of most of the nave and side aisles (1308-1349), characterised by windows with curved tracery, the pattern which resembles a tree, and elaborate carvings on the label-stops and columns; some dog-toothed moulding which continues into this part of the building and the lower part of the south wall is still Early English. The ability to produce such a remarkable change in quality of detail was at least in part due to the use of the chisel instead of the axe used by the Norman builders. Come and see this amazing detail on one of our tours by booking a place here:- https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection/
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Visit Beverley Two Churches One Town - Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

25/04/2025

The Minster was built in the period 1190-1420 in the Gothic style. There were three substyles of English Gothic, and all are present in the Minster. The east end (1190-1260) up to and including the main transept is largely Early English. It is typified by pointed arches, lancet windows, stiff-leaf decoration, dogtooth moulding and black Purbeck ‘marble’ (not marble but a hard limestone) from Dorset, in the shafts and columns. Today in St. Katherine's Chapel, the lesser transept, I was looking for oolitic limestone from Newbald, which is darker in colour than the Tadcaster stone found in most parts of the building, also examples of dogtooth and stiff-leaf decoration. Walking through the Nave I noticed some stone from the previous Saxon/Norman church, Romanesque above in the triforium c.1120-60, which had been reused. From there, waiting for me, at the Highgate door were 26 people from a Derbyshire art appreciation group who had booked for a tour. Do come and enjoy the delights of the Minster, we have a tour on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May at 1 p.m. as well as our usual tours, Saturdays at 1 p.m., and Wednesdays at 11a.m.
https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection/
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Two Churches One Town - Beverley Visit Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

22/04/2025

Daily in the Quire of the Minster was Divine Office. The term minster is first found in royal foundation charters of the 7th century, when it appointed any settlement of clergy living a communal life and endowed by charter with the obligation of maintaining the daily office of prayer. The Divine Office consisted of:-
Matins - midnight onwards; Lauds - followed straight after Matins; Prime - gained its name from the first hour of daylight; Terce - from the 3rd hour; Sext - from the 6th hour; Nones - the ninth hour; Vespers - evening; Compline - completion of a working day before going to bed! The misericords were there to help people through hours of standing by perching to take the weight off their legs, but giving the appearance of standing. Nowadays the quire is well used for choral services, prayer, worship, weddings, funerals and many other things. It is the oldest part of the building and a beautiful space with interesting furnishings. Come and experience it for yourself on one of our tours, only £6 each by booking with this link https://beverleyminster.org.uk/guided-tours-date-selection/
Beverley Minster Roof Tours Beverley Minster Visit East Yorkshire Two Churches One Town - Beverley Visit Beverley The Friends of Beverley Minster Beverley Minster Old Fund Surveyor

Address

Minster Yard North
Beverley
HU170DP

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4am
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Website

http://beverleyminster.org.uk/

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