Revealed: New pictures show how York
Minster’s ‘world class’ campus will look

York Minster’s ambitious plans to create a world class research campus in the heart of the city took a big step forward today (Friday).
YorkMix revealed in October that the Minster wants to build a Centre of Excellence within yards of the ancient cathedral.
Today it has submitted a full planning application to create the facility for research, education and training in ancient craft skills.

Known as The Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management, it will be based on two sites.
The Heritage Quad – found in part of the gardens of Minster Court and the Deanery’s garages and workshops, it would be the home and learning area for apprentices.
The Works and Technology Hub – the site includes The Stoneyard and York Glaziers Trust on 4-6 Deangate. New equipment would be installed, and a drawing office developed with improved IT and digital technology.

The Minster Court road, cobbled in the 1970s, will be resurfaced to give a smoother approach to the Heritage Quad. One building, the mason’s workshop, is set to be demolished to make way for the quad.
New structures will be built to the north and east wings of The Heritage Quad. The overarching roof of the main structure will incorporate existing, updated buildings.

The £5m fully-funded project is being co-ordinated by the York Minster Fund.
It will provide new facilities for craftspeople, including York Minster’s stonemasons. Students would live on campus and learn modern techniques, working with cutting edge digital facilities alongside the ancient craft skills for which the Stoneyard is renowned.
Here’s what to expect at each site.
The Heritage Quad
This will be a simple garden structure built to the rear of 2 Minster Court below the existing City Wall to replace the mason’s workshop at 4 Deangate.
The building will not only provide new facilities for scaffolders and gardeners but also dedicated residential accommodation (six bedrooms around a shared kitchen and lounge) for the Minster’s first and second-year apprentices, as well as for international exchange visitors and trainees.


Stones from the Minster’s historic collection will be positioned so visitors along the city wall can engage with the process of conservation and restoration.
The building has been designed with sustainability at its heart and will feature a green roof, rainwater harvesting, solar panels, air source heat pumps and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
[adrotate group=”3″]
The Works and Technology Hub
This will be housed on the sites of the current stoneyard and will incorporate additional space for York Glaziers Trust on Deangate. The site currently comprises a range of buildings dating from the 19th century to the late 20th.
The space will be reordered to house a state-of-the-art 5 Axis CNC saw and a new band saw. A new entrance will enable visitors to enter and watch operations from a dedicated viewing platform.


The Hub will include the latest in low carbon and renewable technologies, with four-fifths of the power for the development coming from solar tiles in the new roof structure.
[tptn_list limit=3 daily=1 hour_range=1]
Alex McCallion, director of works and precinct at York Minster, said that a team of highly skilled people are needed to maintain, repair and restore the cathedral.
“Our existing stoneyard houses the complete range of craft and trade skills that are vital to achieve this,” he said.
“Yet despite this, the facilities available to our skilled workforce are constrained and inadequate, set against a backdrop of declining craft skills. We also recognise the need to keep pace with innovations and modern processes such as digital technology, data scanning and Computer Aided Design.

He added:
The creation of a Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management will therefore not only enable the preservation and development of the ancient craft skills that have sustained the Minster over the centuries but will also secure the long-term environmental, financial and heritage sustainability of it for future generations to enjoy as we do today.
This would “position York Minster as leading the charge for the preservation of ancient craft skills on the international stage”.
And it would enable exchange programmes with partner cathedrals including Washington, Milan and Trondheim.
The campus is part of the York Minster Precinct Neighbourhood Plan which sets out a sustainable future for the Minster and its 17 acre estate.

““It is the first time an approach of this type has been used to map the future care of a cathedral and we believe it will positively inspire others to follow as we become an exemplar for how heritage estates address climate change,” said the Rev Canon Michael Smith, acting Dean of York.
He added:
It is a plan for the city of York and something we should all be proud of.
We are incredibly excited about seeing our Centre of Excellence plans, alongside other ongoing projects including the refectory restaurant and College Green improvement works, become a reality over the coming months.
“We see our investment in the project as the best way of securing skills, jobs and heritage restoration at the Minster for decades to come,” said Richard Shaw, chairman of York Minster Fund.
A planning decision is expected in late summer and, if approved, York Minster aims to successfully deliver the project in early 2024.


