Scaffolding tour at iconic York Minster

Members of the public were recently offered the rare opportunity to climb part of the scaffolding which is currently erected for repair works to the iconic York Minster.

The event was part of a National Heritage open days scheme and scaffolding tours were being offered to enable visitors to view specialist restoration work taking place on the 800 year old building.

It is unusual for the public to be invited to access scaffolding, but for this special event visitors were given the chance to climb the scaffolding on the South Quire Aisle.

Pre-booked guided tours were scheduled throughout the day, so places were limited, but the tours were free of charge for those lucky enough to book a place. Visitors were able to take a closer look at the conservation work being carried out on the cathedral and admire the view from a height of approximately 30m above ground, as well as take part in workshops and meet some of the people involved in the maintenance and conservation.

Work currently underway on the South Quire Aisle involves repairing and replacing the stone and glass in 11 window bays. The work is part of a £11 million project which is expected to take 11 years.

We think this is a fantastic initiative and gives those not normally involved in work of this nature the opportunity to renovation work up close and get to climb a scaffold to do so!