Project to analyse York Minster's Rose Window

A major restoration project is under way at York Minster, which will analyse the famous Rose Window.

Due to the devastating fire in 1984, the 500-year-old stained glass window cracked in 40,000 places under the extreme 450C (842F) heat.

The window, designed in the 16th Century to celebrate the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York in 1486, was restored by glaziers following the blaze.

Experts will now re-examine the work, to understand how to better care for the window in the future.

The three lancet windows in the cathedral's South Transept are also set to be safeguarded by adding protective glazing.

The windows, which are beneath the Rose Window, depict Saints Peter, Paul, Wilfred and William of York.

Due to their positioning, they were not subject to the same fire damage but exposure to the elements has rendered them vulnerable to corrosion and paint loss.

Prof Sarah Brown, director of the York Glaziers Trust, said the windows had undergone a variety of restorations and additions over the years, as well as being completely removed during World War Two.

"It was Peter Gibson OBE, former superintendent of the York Glaziers Trust, who insisted that the Rose Window could be saved after the 1984 fire," she said.

"At the time, some people saw its perilous condition as an opportunity for a completely new stained glass commission.

"Thankfully, his advice was heeded and the glaziers worked tirelessly to restore the artwork."

Scaffolding has been put up inside and outside the South Transept to allow teams to access the window.

They will look at the repair work from the 1980s and analyse how the restoration methods used have stood the test of time.

Alex McCallion, director of works and precinct at the cathedral, added: "Four decades ago, a multidisciplinary team of skilled craftspeople worked to sensitively restore the cathedral after that devastating fire."

He said they had used the best tools and techniques available at the time.

"We now have a fantastic opportunity to re-examine their work to allow us to better understand the Rose Window and how we might care for it into the future."

The York Minster Fund was set up in 1967 to pay for projects such as this.

In 2024, the Julia Rausing Trust awarded the fund a £500,000 grant, which will support the Rose Window analysis.

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