York Minster's new architect calls for people to use heritage settings to preserve their future

Oliver Caroe, newly appointed architect of York’s world-famous Minster, has spoken of the “grace and calm” he finds in the cathedral’s “magnificent” space.

As he readies for the responsibility within one of the church’s most critical conservation roles, he has shared his hopes for a future where such settings can unite communities.

“Right now, everybody needs to recover a sense of equilibrium and hope,” he said. “Heritage anchors us, and gives us a sense of meaning and place.

“These buildings do have a way of grounding us,” he added. “More than at any other time, that matters right now. The Cathedral relies on fundraising to repair itself.

“It would be a tragedy if the constant work to conserve great buildings like this stops. We would just be passing the problem on to the next generation.”

His official title is ‘surveyor of the fabric’, charging him with no small measure of history in a setting at the centre of Christianity in the north of England since the 7th century.

It’s a world he was “born into”, he said, honouring his grandfather and architect great-father, as he recalled his teenage years under his father’s tutelage at Wells Cathedral.

“My sister used to tease me that I didn’t have the imagination to do anything different,” he added. “It’s a vocation. My real privilege is to work with incredibly magnificent buildings.

"To do that is one of the most validating, worthwhile things I could ever imagine, with the Minster being the most thrilling of all.”

Mr Caroe is incumbent as surveyor of the fabric at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, and architect at Ripon Cathedral, overseeing its masterplan. He does “speak a bit of Yorkshire”, he said, and his enthusiasm is palpable when it comes to the Minster.

“You can’t imagine a more rich and complex history,” he added. “It’s a place of stories, you feel that the world is in there.”

Ambitions

Despite the firm grounding of history and community within settings such as York Minster, he said, many of the nation’s cathedrals are still quiet as people cautiously return to normal routines.

“If we can find hope anywhere, we can at York Minster,” he added. “That’s why we need to get back in these buildings. It will help the wider economy.

“Get into the Minster now. It’s a rare treat, and of course the Cathedral needs all the help it can from its friends.”

Setting out ambitions for his time as architect at York Minster, Mr Caroe said his primary focus is on the Minster’s Neighbourhood Plan, and the use of its precincts to make the most of its space.

At present, he added, the Minster is in ‘recovery’ mode, like so many businesses nationwide, as it looks to welcome visitors for prayers, reflection, or for the enjoyment of its setting. His hope is for the Minster to serve as a centre for unity.

“You can find grace and calm in the space,” he said. “Particularly in the world that we are in, these are the things we need.”

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