Minster fire timbers add to record total for stoneyard auction

The annual stoneyard auction, held on Friday, featured relics damaged in the South Transept fire in 1984 for the first time, including ornate bosses, carved wooden hubs which adorned the vaulted ceiling.

Hundreds of people attended the auction, which featured 112 large pieces and 200 timbers, and raised £44,086.80 - double last year’s £22,000 total.

“It has been absolutely fantastic to see so many people eager to take home their own little piece of York Minster’s history,” said superintendent of works at the Minster, Rebecca Thompson.

“These stones may have sat for years in storage before they were carefully selected for sale, and it is very reassuring to know that every penny from the sale of these stones will go back into the building, helping maintain it for future generations.”

The auction, which took place in Dean’s Park, adjacent to the Minster, also featured stones that had all been removed from the Minster during works to conserve the masonry. Every item sold within an hour of the sale opening,with bids for larger pieces ranging from £80 to £2,000.

Geraldine Robinson, from Osbaldwick, purchased two small stones, two small timbers and a larger stone. She said: “The smaller pieces will be given as presents, but the larger stone will become part of a bench in the garden.”

The Minster will host a tour around the stoneyard workshops on Friday September 12.

For more details, visit www.yorkminster.org