£10m heritage funds for Minster

The Minster is one of four major schemes set to receive a share in 15m of grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) confirmed today.

It comes just weeks after development agency Yorkshire Forward revealed the Medieval minster would not be getting 1m towards the window restoration after its budget was slashed.

The Labour MP for York Central, Hugh Bayley, welcomed the announcement of 9.7m in funding.

He said: "The Minster is the biggest gothic cathedral north of the Alps and the most important and iconic building in Yorkshire. We have a duty to preserve it for future generations and this grant was essential.

"The Great East Window is the biggest medieval work of art anywhere in the world.

"It is absolutely unique and badly needs restoration. There is no way the work could have been done without a grant of this size."

Archbishop of York John Sentamu said: "The east window, which tells the whole story of the Book of Revelation in painted glass, is a beautiful and historic work of art which brings joy to so many people, worshippers, visitors and York residents alike.

"Indeed, the Minster as a whole is a masterpiece which speaks of the glory of God and the creative imagination of human beings."

Much needed work on the Great East Window is part of a 19m project at the Minster, which is backed by the Yorkshire Post and includes extensive repairs to the stonework on the East Front which has suffered extensive erosion and lost almost an inch of stone in less than 200 years.

The irreplaceable 15th century glass has come under threat because the stonework around it has begun to bow.

While the work takes place, training and volunteering opportunities will also give people the chance to learn skills such as stone masonry, stained glass conservation and how to become a guide.

The fund's chief executive Carole Souter said: "York Minster is one of the country's finest buildings and a tribute to the craftsmanship and innovation that flourished here from the 13th century onwards.

"The HLF's grant of nearly 10m will help restore and protect this breathtaking landmark for many years to come as well as making sure that it continues to be a welcoming place for worship, learning and peaceful contemplation."

Other funding will go to Cromford Mills in the Peak District, the William Morris gallery in London and an aerial photograph archive charting the changing landscape of Britain over the past century.

At Cromford Mills, 2m will be spent on repairs to provide a gateway into the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Built in 1771 by industrial pioneer Sir Richard Arkwright, Cromford is the world's first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill.

Also set to receive HLF funding, of 1.7m, is an archive of more than a million aerial photos of Britain taken between 1919 and 2006. The collection was created by Aerofilms, an air survey company set up by

First World War veterans in 1919, and funding will enable cataloguing and digitising of 95,000 images taken between 1919 and 1953.

At the William Morris Gallery in Waltham Forest, London,

1.5m will be spent on providing bigger exhibition spaces for the collection, which includes woven and printed fabrics, ceramics, wallpaper and furniture.