As a symbol of a city, not many stand out better than York Minster, the cathedral which bears the honorific title of Minster as a mark of respect. It is in fact the second-largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, embodying the development of Gothic architecture and holding the seat of Archbishop of York, the third highest office in the Church of England. The honorific title ‘minster’ comes from the Latin word for ‘monasterium’ or ‘monastery’ which were widespread in Anglo-Saxon England. The building itself boasts the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. The stained glass in the south transept includes a rose window, dating back to 1500, which depicts the coming together of the Red and White Rose. The west transept contains a heart-shaped design commonly known as the ‘Heart of Yorkshire’.
This design captures surely one of the great, if elusive, sights of Yorkshire life: a calm summer's evening, the sky a velvety pint, with the creamy limestone of York Minster glowing gold in the low sun.
Keep it in your kitchen for a reminder that some buildings can combine grand scale and matchless beauty.
