York Minster Exterior
There is so much to see within York Minster that sometimes the guidebooks
give short shrift to the exterior of the building. Good views of the
superb Great East Window can be had from College Street, named for
St William's College, a wonderful medieval building which houses some
of the Minster's own administrative offices, as well as dining and
meeting facilities. Standing outside the college, the east window
towers above you. Dating to the early 15th century, it contains the
largest area of stained glass of any window in the world; over 1,700
square feet. The east window is the work of John Thornton, a glass-maker
from Coventry.
From College Street you can walk around the southeast corner of the
Minster to the main visitor's entrance. This approach provides excellent
views of the tower, especially at night, when the tower is illuminated
from below by floodlights (see photo below). Before you reach the
south porch, you pass a large statue of Emperor Constantine the Great.
Constantine I visited York in 306 AD - and promptly died. His son,
Constantine the Great, founder of Constantinople and the first Christian
Emperor of Rome, was proclaimed emperor in York. The traditional site
of his crowning is preserved under the Minster.
Continue on past the south entry to the glorious west front. Walk
across the large paved area to get a good view of the front. Better
yet, come at night, when the floodlights illuminate the west front
beautifully.
Unfortunately, access to the exterior of the north side of the Minster
is not allowed to the general public, though you can get some nice
views from the old city
walls. Some of the best views of the towers of York Minster are
to be had from the wall south of the River Ouse. Join the wall walk
beyond Lendal Bridge and proceed south for several hundred metres,
then look back into the oldest section of York. The Minster can be
clearly viewed amid the cluster of smaller buildings and streets that
surround it (see the first photo below).
You can also view the walls from the tower - visitors to the Minster
may climb to the top of the tower, from whence wonderful views of
the city can be obtained. The climb also affords intriguing views
of the flying buttresses used to transmit the weight of the building
to the ground. A small fee is charged for climbing the Tower.
click on an image to see a large version
Photo Gallery - York Minster Exterior
York Minster
Related:
More York Attractions
Attractions near York
Yorkshire
attractions map
© David Ross and Britain Express
Home
> England >
Yorkshire
> York >
Attractions
> York Minster
> Exterior
