Within Studio Practice 3 I visited Lincoln Cathedral, so this term I wanted to go somewhere else to look at another Cathedral. The one I chose was York Minster and this was a choice I was happy with when I laid eyes on the Gothic masterpiece. The differences between the two buildings were apparent right away. When I visited Lincoln there was a lot of scaffolding on the exterior and quite a lot of the front of the building wasn't viable, this was a nice change. All of York Minster's decorative elements were exquisite.
We went on the guided tour of the inside of the building and it was extremely helpful when it came to learning about the history of the building. One thing I had been wondering about was the decapitated statues. I had a brief idea of why they were this way and the tour guide clarified that it had been Henry Viii who had ordered the desecration of the statues, decapitating them during the reaffirmation. This is why many of the statues on buildings dating from before the 1500s are either destroyed or headless.
Something also included in the tour was the history of the stained glass windows which were, for the most part, the original 600-year-old medieval windows. They are some of the only windows remaining from the period as they were smashed during the reign of Oliver Cromwell (1954 - 1958), brandishing them an extravagance. Due to the huge defence system York had in place at the time, miraculously it's windows survived and are still in place today. Some of the glass was damaged when taken out for protection during the Second World War, these were then replaced. It is quite clear to see which ones they are once it is pointed out as the designs are completely different, they are patterns instead of characters.
"York Minster’s Great East Window is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country, a masterpiece in glass and stone depicting the beginning and end of all things."
Although the windows might be 600 years old, they have seen their fair share of damage from numerous eventualities. Over the years they have been patched up, the cracks in the glass were filled with lead, leaving the windows looking messy and unclear. The Minster has an ongoing restoration project with the aim to bring all of the windows back to life alongside elements of the exterior.
The chapter house was my favourite part of the Minster, the circular room was surrounded by stained glass windows and carved gargoyles which told humorous and scary stories. The ceiling was painted and held up by wooden beams that met in the middle with carvings decorating their joins. I loved how ornate the room was, this seems to be a running theme as the chapter house of Lincoln Cathedral was my favourite part also.
After the tour of the inside, I wanted another look at the exterior. I was lucky enough to see workers erecting some of the new statues which were going onto the roof. They were also making new elements to replace some of the more weathered stone features. It was strange to see how light they were in comparison to the rest of the building, but it was obvious that in time the new additions would age and blend in.
This trip was extremely interesting and allowed me to extend my knowledge of medieval and Gothic architecture. The tour guide also taught me many things that I hadn't previously known and this was relevant to helping me understand my practice.
(1) Great East Window. (2019). Retrieved from https://yorkminster.org/discover/conservation/great-east-window/