THE public is being offered the rare chance to buy a piece of
York Minster - and take it home.
Stones removed from the building during multi-million-pound
restoration work are being auctioned off later this month to raise
funds for the repairs.
The master mason at York Minster, John David, explained that
they had been taken down because they were either decayed, or
structurally unsound, and needed to be replaced.
"Complete stones removed during these works are recorded in the
minster's archive records, with a large number of pieces retained
by the minster owing to their significance in the archaeological
history of the building," he said.
"We can't store every stone removed from the building; so the
surplus will go on sale at the auction to help raise funds to
support ongoing conservation works on the minster. It offers people
a unique chance to own their own piece of the minster."
The auction will be held at noon on 16 August, in Dean's Park,
behind the minster, with viewings on the afternoon before, and on
the morning of the sale.
The work of the minster's artisans can be seen at an open day
today.
