Why TV's big names are coming to pay homage to a Gothic masterpiece

Wrapped in all its Gothic splendour, this epic monument to craftsmanship is frequently cited as the most impressive church in England that isn't a cathedral, and it's easy to see why. Ever since worshippers first made their pilgrimage here during the 13th century, the Minster has seduced visitors with its magnificence.

Nowadays many of those who pass through its doors come not to worship, but to marvel at the breathtaking architecture, or listen to a concert. This week, the Minster has been busy hosting two of the BBC's flagship TV programmes – Songs of Praise and Antiques Roadshow – the first time that both shows have been recorded at the same venue. Aled Jones and the Songs of Praise crew were filming earlier this week and the cameras have stayed in place for Fiona Bruce and the Roadshow experts who are recording today.

Neil Pickford, a Virger (the unusual spelling is correct) at the Minster, says it's been a hectic few days. "On Monday and Tuesday we had Songs of Praise here, then there was a quick turnaround where we stripped the nave so the Antiques Roadshow team could bring in their stalls and everything else. Then we'll have to put all the chairs back because we've got a concert tomorrow and the day after that we've got a fully working church again."

He admits that juggling the day-to-day needs of the Minster as well as two film crews has been a challenge. "It's difficult, but fortunately we're a big church and we have a lot of volunteer leaders who help.

"The catering is run by a retired couple from our congregation, and they have a team of about 16 people who help them when there's a big event on.

"The Antiques Roadshow could attract three or four thousand people, so we've got another 40 or so volunteers who are going to butter sandwiches and make tea."

The two TV programmes, due to be screened together in the autumn, have a combined audience of around nine million, which will help promote the East Yorkshire market town. "It's not going to give us (at the Minster) a lot of money, but we're hoping it will be a huge boost to visitor numbers. Not just for the Minster but Beverley itself, because the town depends on tourists from the Minster and if we're quiet then it's quiet in town."

The Minster itself has an intriguing history that would doubtless fascinate the Roadshow experts, having survived the trials and tribulations of the Black Death, the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the English Civil War. The original monastery grew around the burial site of St John of Beverley, becoming a place of religious significance.

"It was built when most of the people living around here were still pagan and Christianity was in its infancy. But it became the second most important burial site in the North of England after Durham," Neil explains.

The Minster officially dates back to 1220 and was built over a 200-year period. "It was very much a prototype and is considered one of the oldest Gothic buildings in the country. It was built as a theatre for pilgrims to come to and we can only imagine how impressive it must have looked in the 13th century, when all people had was mud and vegetation to look at."

Some experts believe it could even pre-date York Minster and Lincoln Cathedral. Certainly its eminent status meant that English monarchs were frequent visitors during the late Middle Ages, and up until the 15th century Beverley was the 10th largest town in England, wealthier even than York.

As with so many other monasteries, the Minster fell into decline during the reign of Henry VIII and was sold for scrap before being rescued by the local council. Neil believes the building that exists today is testament to the skill and craftsmanship of those who worked on

it. "Some of the existing glass dates back to the 13th century and some of the blue medallions in them are incredible. We can't create blues as good as that these days. We can match them but they don't last, whereas these medallions are 700 years old." The Minster's architectural influence can even be seen in one of the world's most famous buildings – Westminster Abbey.

Nicholas Hawksmoor, a 17th century architect, built the famous west end towers at Westminster after having carried out restoration work on Beverley Minster. "He was so impressed with our towers he used them as inspiration, so Westminster Abbey is a copy of us really." And the Minster still has the ability to astound visitors. "You notice people's behaviour change the minute they walk in. They're much more polite and a little bit overawed. Even kids quieten down when they come here, it has that effect on people."

Impressive as it is, the amount of money needed to keep the church ticking over is astronomical.

"Although it's in good condition, it's constantly in need of maintenance. It costs around a thousand pounds a day to run it, and that's not factoring in major refurbishment programmes like the 10m it's going to cost to renovate the east window and the roof," says Neil Pickford.

"In winter, for example, when we've got the boilers going, the heating bills can be as much as 1,000 a week."

The Minster has a trust fund responsible for general building work, while the day-to-day running comes from donations and support from the various congregations that use the church. "We don't get tax relief for anything we do as a church, we only get tax relief for the time we're a tourist attraction. So we have to balance up opening during the day with the cost of heating and everything else."

Beverley Minster attracts around 70,000 visitors a year, but in these increasingly secular times, has it had to change its role? "We are here for the people of Beverley and that includes secularists, although this is still a Christian venue, so if someone wants to get married here then there will be hymns," he says.

"We have people who regularly come in here once a week, not to worship, but to spend 15 minutes in quiet contemplation. We also have a magnificent organ which is rated among the best in the country, so we get people who love church organ music coming here from all over the country."

The modern Minister has become as much a community venue as a place of worship. "We have big concerts like the Brighouse and Rastrick Band and the Black Dyke Band, and we get as many as 900 people in here." Although it opens its doors to everyone irrespective of their faith, Neil says the Minster hasn't lost sight of its role as a Christian church and supports projects as far away as Africa and South America.

"We have close links with a cathedral in Uganda and every other year a team of youngsters and some of the church elders go across there to help with fundraising. We've been able to help build a school and show our youngsters what life is like in other parts of the world, so it has educational value."

As with churches up and down the country, Beverley Minster has had to contend with people's changing lifestyles. "I think more people are staying at home and doing the gardening and we find that our biggest competitors are garden centres. So if it's a nice day they go there, they don't come to Beverley."

Despite this, the Minster remains the town's fulcrum.

"We are a big resource and we're here to be used. We have local schools that put on art exhibitions, we have photographic shows and some people put on commercial plays in here. Quite often events are held here because there are no other venues in Beverley for them. But we're happy to help, because it introduces people to this wonderful building and if we make them feel welcome, they're more likely to come back."