Priceless medieval glass moved to chapel

MEDIEVAL glass worth millions of pounds from York Minster's irreplaceable Great East Window has now been moved to the cathedral's St Stephen's Chapel.

A dozen staff spent all Saturday moving more than 300 panes which had been left propped up against walls and work benches following the fire in the Minster Stoneyard.

The dramatic operation between Wednesday night and early New Year's Eve morning followed a fire in the stoneyard – 25 years after the 1984 lighting strike which devastated the cathedral across the road.

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Minster officials said while the cause was believed to be an electrical fault they were still awaiting the final report on why two offices in the stoneyard in Minster Gate were wrecked.

Saturday's operation saw the glass successfully removed from the Minster School and two workshops in the stoneyard to the chapel, which will remain closed to the public while the panes, comprising the lower half of the window, are stored there.

Canon Glyn Webster said Saturday had been a "very encouraging day" in which York Glaziers Trust and stoneyard staff worked side by side.

Today will see a meeting in the stoneyard on how best to get things back to normal. Until then the glass will remain behind the locked gates of the chapel.

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Canon Webster added: "We are absolutely confident it should not set back any hopes or aspirations to begin the restoration properly.

"Saturday was a very smooth operation. We kept them going with bacon butties. All we had to do was make sure we had boarded out the wooden floor to protect it from the metal racks."

There was still no figure on the damage. He added: "The offices are across the road from the minster but the site is historic and a very old part of York.

"There might be some structural damage. We will have to take a careful look tomorrow."

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