York Minster

York Minster dominates the city’s skyline, regarded as the largest medieval Gothic Cathedral north of the Alps. The present Minster is the fifth version of the cathedral and took 252 years to complete, starting in 1220 and finished by 1472. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the third-highest office in the Church of England, after the Monarch and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

 Impressive from the outside, it is even more stunning on the inside. One of its most notable features is the Great East Window, the largest expanse of medieval stained-glass in the country, with more than 300 panels depicting scenes from The Bible. Reaching the summit of the cathedral’s Central Tower is a climb of 275 steps – but it’s worth it for the amazing views. Inside the Minster there are children’s trails to enjoy, tours you can book, Roman ruins in the Undercroft, and beautiful stained-glass windows to see. Important events at the Minster include the royal wedding of King Edward the Third and Queen Philippa; and several fires, such as the one in 1984 when the Minster was struck by lightning. Another historic moment was in 2015, when the first female Bishop in the Church of England was consecrated here.