Great evening yesterday. We (Viewfinders) went to Beverley Minster for a guided tour plus photography. The Minster really is a jewel. So many superlatives justly used. There is a (really good) website,

http://www.beverleyminster.org/

but here are some of my photos.

Beverley was a known centre for music centuries ago, and many of the carvings show angels with musical instruments - even bagpipes. There are some really humourous carvings e.g. these people, one with tummy ache, one with toothache.

[1]

[2]

 The fabric of the building was of the best, and really talented masons etc. were used. The minster nearly fell into decay after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but local rich merchants bought it. It still fell into a state of disrepair when the North lost it’s sheep trade (oversimplifying here) but it was restored later. First public building to use public appeal for funds. Here are some photos of the building.

[3] [4]   [5]   [6]   [7]

After the downstairs tour some of us went up the narrow spiral stone staircase (113  steps)We couldn’t go out on to the tower as there are no barriers there at the moment, but could see through the rose windows. People had etched their names into the glass.

[8] [9]   [10]   [11]

 The roof of the oldest part of th Minster was amazing. Someone said it was like an upside down boat. Blow me down if shipwrights (or whatever) hadn’t built it. Other roofs creak in storms, but this roof just goes with flow (pun!). It has never needed repair. Can’t remember how old this bit is, but between 13th and 15th centuries.

The tour ended with our guide getting into the (largest in England) human treadmill, and raising the heavy cupola(???) so we could look down in to the nave. You can see the beautiful tiling on the floor, and part of the Percy family memorial in the photo.

[12]   [13]   [14]

Great time. Thank you, Neil, for your knowledge and enthusiasm (sorry I’m so vague with what you told us) and thank you, Jane, for organsing the tour.