York Minster

I will run out of superlatives to describe this minster. Quite amazing all the stained glass, the intricate wood carving and massive pipe organ; it inspires awe in all who enter. 

Heavy solid wood door with
wrought iron overlay

So many of these beautiful windows

Etched designs inside each tiny pane

For me one of the coolest parts of this experience was the Undercroft Museum which takes you underneath the massive tower and exposes the foundations of a Roman fortress built in the 2nd century. That fortress grew over the years as the Romans added on up til the time they left Britain in the 400’s AD.  

Roman fortress wall, walkway with
drainage canal underneath

After the Romans left, they surmise the Anglo-Saxons had a church on site. Artifacts have been unearthed but no evidence of their timber structures.

Then came the Normans who built a much larger Gothic style church on the site and those remains were found in addition to many more artifacts.

There is a neat display in the museum that shows how each era of building fits on top of each other. The 3D visuals are very helpful understanding how the bits and pieces of the ruins fit together.

After a bit of wandering the quaint narrow lanes in the York city center, I returned for Evensong at 5:30. That was a wonderful experience! The congregants sit in the Quire, a separate area in the church ringed by tall wood carved panels, elevated ironwork and several seating boxes but not entiredly walled off from the main part of the minster. We sat right next to the Choir itself. The acapella voices blended in the wonderful acoustics of the church and the occasional interludes by the pipe organ created a very uplifting, worshipful experience.

An evening walk back to the apartment and I am ready to relax and get comfortable. It is so fun to get to spend a few days with my sister and brother-in-law.

We had some good laughs trying to figure out how things work in this apartment. Many gadgets that are unfamiliar and no instructions!