How to visit and what to see in York Minster Cathedral (England): prices

In the medieval city of york, in the county Yorkshire al north of england, one of its great tourist attractions is the YorkMinster, as the great Gothic cathedral which is located among its medieval streets.

La york minster is considered as the largest Gothic building north of the Alps.

With its 158 meters long and 76 meters wide, when you go to visit this monument, you will find a large cathedral with a Latin cross plan, a large central tower and two towers on the front façade.

Curiosities about the history of York Minster

As is usual in the great European cathedrals, that of Y It is the result of the evolution over the centuries of an initial religious temple.

Thus, the origin of York Minster It is located in a small wooden chapel built at the beginning of the 7th century.

After several churches built in the following centuries, like one norman cathedral In the 1220th century, in 1470, construction of the current cathedral building began, which was completed in XNUMX.

The oldest part of the current york cathedral is transept, which ooriented from north to south, it was built between the years 1220 and 1270 in the style early english gothic.

Likewise, at this time the Chapter Room, in decorated Gothic style.

La nave of york minster It was built between 1280 and 1350 in the style flowery gothic and, finally, the opposite part of the building, where the presbytery, the choir and the Queen's Chapel, it was completed in 1472 in perpendicular gothic.

Also from this last period are the two towers on the western façade.

This is the visit to York Cathedral

For visit York Minster cathedral, you will have no problem getting to it because it is located in the very center of this very beautiful medieval city de Britain.

You will access it from the area where the conglomerate of narrow streets of medieval origin is concentrated, and you will enter through the south façade, directly to the transept.

As you enter, to the right you can see one of the most spectacular corners of the york cathedral, Choir Cancel.

It is a stone wall built in the 15th century, which separates the aforementioned choir from the central nave, and where a spectacular decoration is shown with statues of several kings of England, from William I but also Henry VI.

Possibly, it is the most artistically rich corner of the cathedral.

After cathedral choir you will find access to the crypt and, just at the bottom, the Chapel of the Virgin.

York Minster stained glass

Among the most outstanding architectural elements of the york cathedralWithout a doubt, there are their stained glass windows, spectacular both for their large dimensions, and above all for their enormous beauty.

And among them, the famous window Five Sisters, which, as you access the york cathedral Due to its south façade, you will see it right on the opposite side of the transept, on the north façade.

It has that curious name because of the group formed by its five very tall and narrow elongated windows, which are the original ones, dating back to the year 1250, and the oldest in the cathedral.

Octagonal in plan, and built at the end of the 13th century, it is covered by a wooden vault.

Above the access door to the central nave of the north façade, the one with the two towers, there is a large rose window from the year 1339, which at the time was the stained glass window with the largest glass surface in the Gothic cathedral.

But years later, in 1408, on the opposite side of the central nave, on the Chapel of the Virgin (Lady Chapel), an even larger stained glass window was opened.

Apart from these York Minster stained glass, during your visit you should pay attention to others located in the central nave, such as the one called Pilgrimage Window, from 1312, which shows various grotesque scenes.

Next to this stained glass window, to the right, you have access to another prominent corner of the York Minster cathedral, the aforementioned Chapter Room.

How to climb the tower of York Minster

Another option you have on your visit is climb the tower of York Minster, from where you will have the opportunity to enjoy the best panoramic views of york and its surroundings.

Indeed, when you enter the cathedral, just to the left you will find the counter where you can pay the supplement to the entrance price that will allow you not only to tour the interior of the cathedral, but also to climb the central tower.

The access staircase to the York Minster tower It is the typical common spiral of the great medieval cathedrals, but I warn you that it is very narrow and steep.

For this reason you will find that in the upper section you cannot go up or down simultaneously, but you have to wait until it is free to do so.

This difficulty means that access to children under 8 years of age is not permitted.

Al Climb the tower, first you will find a first section that will take you to the roof of the cathedral, which you must walk through until you reach the access stairs to the central tower.

From there you have your first views of the city of York, where you will see that it is actually a great town.

From the top of the central tower you can now enjoy the expected panoramic views of york, both the medieval streets adjacent to the cathedral, and the garden areas next to it.

It is worth having a good time before going back down inside the cathedral.

In short, a huge temple whose visit in itself would justify traveling to the beautiful medieval city of York, one of the most beautiful that you can visit in a trip to britain.

York Minster Cathedral visit schedules

The York Gothic Minster visiting hours They are, from Monday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 16,30:12,30 p.m. as last access; and on Sundays, from 15,15:XNUMX to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

To visit this cathedral you have to pay a combined ticket that allows you to see the interior of the church and climb the towers.

York Minster Cathedral ticket prices

The York Minster ticket prices It's £11,50 for adults, £9 for seniors over 60 years old and students, and free pass for under 17 years.

El combined ticket price which also includes Climb the tower It is 16 pounds for adults, 14 pounds for seniors and students, and £5 for under 16s

In your visit to York Minster cathedral you can take photos and film video freely, and the ticket price allows you to participate in the guided tours (in English) that are continuously carried out every day.

You just have to sign up at the ticket office and wait a little until it starts.