Latest news with #RoseWindow
BBC News
19 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Project to analyse York Minster's Rose Window
A major restoration project is under way at York Minster, which will analyse the famous Rose Window. Due to the devastating fire in 1984, the 500-year-old stained glass window cracked in 40,000 places under the extreme 450C (842F) window, designed in the 16th Century to celebrate the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York in 1486, was restored by glaziers following the will now re-examine the work, to understand how to better care for the window in the future. The three lancet windows in the cathedral's South Transept are also set to be safeguarded by adding protective windows, which are beneath the Rose Window, depict Saints Peter, Paul, Wilfred and William of to their positioning, they were not subject to the same fire damage but exposure to the elements has rendered them vulnerable to corrosion and paint loss. Prof Sarah Brown, director of the York Glaziers Trust, said the windows had undergone a variety of restorations and additions over the years, as well as being completely removed during World War Two."It was Peter Gibson OBE, former superintendent of the York Glaziers Trust, who insisted that the Rose Window could be saved after the 1984 fire," she said. "At the time, some people saw its perilous condition as an opportunity for a completely new stained glass commission. "Thankfully, his advice was heeded and the glaziers worked tirelessly to restore the artwork."Scaffolding has been put up inside and outside the South Transept to allow teams to access the will look at the repair work from the 1980s and analyse how the restoration methods used have stood the test of time. Alex McCallion, director of works and precinct at the cathedral, added: "Four decades ago, a multidisciplinary team of skilled craftspeople worked to sensitively restore the cathedral after that devastating fire."He said they had used the best tools and techniques available at the time."We now have a fantastic opportunity to re-examine their work to allow us to better understand the Rose Window and how we might care for it into the future."The York Minster Fund was set up in 1967 to pay for projects such as this. In 2024, the Julia Rausing Trust awarded the fund a £500,000 grant, which will support the Rose Window analysis. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Craftspeople review Rose Window repairs carried out after 1984 York Minster fire
Conservation experts are reviewing repairs to York Minster's famous Rose Window, which were carried out after a devastating fire in 1984, as part of a new restoration project. The stained glass masterpiece stayed in place despite the fire raging around it, but its 73 panels, containing 7,000 pieces of stained glass, were subjected to 450C heat and cracked in 40,000 places. The painstaking renovation carried out on the window, a symbol of the union between the Yorkist and Lancastrian houses that had looked out over the city for 500 years, will now be reviewed by a team of heritage craftspeople. It took four years to rebuild and restore York Minster after the 1984 fire. The new scaffolding, which has been erected inside and outside the South Transept, will allow members of the minster team to access the Rose Window and review the repair works undertaken in this period. The analysis will reveal how the restoration methods and materials have stood the test of time and whether the window needs further repairs. The new project will see the minster's stonemasons working alongside experts from the York Glaziers Trust to conserve three huge lancet windows in the cathedral's South Transept which depict Saints Peter, Paul, Wilfred, and William of York. Due to their positioning, the lancets were not subjected to the same extreme thermal stress as the Rose Window. However, centuries of exposure to the elements have rendered the medieval glass vulnerable to corrosion and paint loss. Revolutionary protective glazing will be added to the windows to help safeguard the precious works of art well into the next century and beyond. Professor Sarah Brown, director of the York Glaziers Trust, said: 'These windows have a history stretching back many hundreds of years. 'They can be attributed to the workshop of Robert Petty in the late 15th century and have undergone a variety of restorations and additions, as well as being completely removed during the Second World War. 'It was Peter Gibson OBE, former superintendent of the York Glaziers Trust, who insisted that the Rose Window could be saved after the 1984 fire. 'At the time, some people saw its perilous condition as an opportunity for a completely new stained glass commission. 'Thankfully, his advice was heeded and the glaziers worked tirelessly to restore the artwork.'
