York Minster

Glass conservation tours

• What? Visit the Bedern Glaziers' Studio for a close-up view of mediaeval stained glass under restoration
• Where? Leaving from the Minster's Group Desk inside the main entrance
• When? Wednesdays and Fridays at 2pm
• How much? £5 per person
• How long? The tour takes about one hour
• How many? Maximum 10 people so places are limited

Groups may be pre-booked at other times on Wednesdays and Fridays by calling Box Office on 0844 939 0011.

Visit York Minster Online Shop to view the selection of exclusive stained glass gifts available to buy.

Bedern Glaziers' Studio

Bedern Glaziers' Studio, built in the 13th Century as the chapel of the College of Vicars Choral, opened in 2009 as a public showcase for the conservation of stained glass, and particularly the glass of the Minster's Great East Window (pictured left).

Members of the public can go ‘behind the scenes’ to watch the work of York Glaziers' Trust conservators.

The York Glaziers’ Trust is one of Britain’s oldest stained glass conservation studios and is renowned throughout Europe for its work in York Minster and for churches and historic buildings throughout Britain. With the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund, its new Bedern studio offers you a chance for a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse of conservators at work on some of the Minster’s finest windows. This is the team who will be working on the Great East Window, part of the exciting York Minster Revealed project for which we are preparing. Panels from the Great East Window and from the Chapter House vestibule can be seen in the medieval setting of the Bedern Studio and the conducted tour with a specialist guide will introduce you to the complex challenges of modern stained glass conservation in action. 

York has more medieval stained glass than any other city in the UK, with the Minster as the jewel in the crown. With 128 medieval windows, the Minster has more glass than any other single British building. The Great East Window is the single largest medieval stained glass window in the country and has been called "the Sistine Chapel of stained glass."

York Glaziers' Trust grew out of the Minster's glaziers' shop after the Second World War to care for York Minster’s own exquisite stained glass and other historically important stained glass in Britain. Forty years on, it is acclaimed as one of Europe’s leading centres of conservation excellence and training. YGT has recently completed the conservation of the Minster’s impressive St William window.

Tours of Bedern Glaziers' Studio take place at 2pm on Wednesdays and Fridays leaving from the Group Information Desk in the Minster. Group tours can also be booked in advance at other times by calling the Visitors Department, on 0844 939 0016. Tours have a maximum of 10 people so spaces are limited.

Tours last for approximately 1 hour and cost £5 per person. YGT is a non-profit making organisation and all ticket sales support the ongoing conservation of York Minster.

To find out more about The York Glaziers' Trust please visit http://www.york-glaziers.org/