The Beverley Minster Old Fund was established in 1579 by Queen Elizabeth 1
to maintain the ‘fabric’ of Beverley Minster.

The materials which make up the Minster building – the stone, timber, glass and lead – are collectively known as the ‘fabric’. The preservation of a building which began over 800 years ago requires constant attention. Unusually for an Anglican church, the responsibility for repairing and maintaining the fabric of the Minster lies not with the Parochial Church Council but with the Beverley Minster Old Fund, an ancient charity established in 1579.

The original title of the fund was Queen Elizabeth’s Church Endowment, when in that year the Queen granted letters patent under the great seal of England, giving ‘chauntries, lands and tenements’ for the sole purpose of repairing and maintaining the fabric of the Minster.

This apparent act of generosity is somewhat tempered by the fact that her predecessors Henry VIII and half brother Edward VI confiscated from the Minster very considerable assets of land and property during the Reformation.

This subsequently became known as “Old Minster Fund”. In an Act of Parliament in 1806, during the reign of George III the Fund is referred to as the “Beverley Minster Old Fund at Beverley”. The fund was recognised by the Board of Charity Commissioners for England and Wales in August 1882 and subsequently the charity became known as the Beverley Minster Old Fund (registered Charity No 224208).

On 10th March, 1998 the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales granted to the Trustees of the Beverley Minster Old Fund a Certificate of Incorporation of the Trustees as a body corporate as “The Trustees of the Charity of the Beverley Minster Old Fund”

Since the date of the endowment it has been the practice for works of repair, restoration and maintenance of the fabric of the Minster to be funded and carried out by the Trustees of the Beverley Minster Old Fund. Work is carried out with the consent and approval of the Parochial Church Council. It is customary each year for the Beverley Minster Parochial Church Council to delegate to the Trustees of the Charity of the Beverley Minster Old Fund its powers and responsibilities in respect of the repair and maintenance of Beverley Minster.

What we do

The Beverley Minster Old Fund, has two full time stonemasons, they are directed by the Minster Surveyor, Simon Delaney . The schedule of works is derived from the Quinquennial survey which is carried out every 5 years by the Minster Architect , Andy Burrell. The survey highlights the condition of the fabric of the Minster in detail and categorises a list of works that need to be carried out, some require immediate attention others look into the future 25 years hence.

The stonemasons have a list of stones that they will be carving over the next 12 months, some of these are intricate pinnacles adorned with grotesques others are simple stones which make up a window or door.  The stone is purchased from the Tadcaster quarry, the same quarry that provided stone for the original construction not only of Beverley Minster but also York Minster.

However, there is much more than replacing stones in the Minster, the repairs of windows the replacement of lead flashings and patching the ancient lead roofs. But also, the more mundane tasks of clearing gutters of leaves etc.

Work is carried out by specialist contractors on a day-to-day basis. However the Minster requires funding to complete major projects such as the replacement of roofs, this is done on a project basis with major fund raising needed,  to enable major projects can go ahead, such as the Sanctuary project

Sanctuary Project

Identified in 2015 as a major priority for restoration, the 13th century south lesser transept roof has been restored by having the lead removed and re-cast. The timber and stonework have also been repaired.

The five-year survey in 2015 identified this part of the Minster structure as being a priority for repair and restoration. Serious decay caused by the leaking roof, due to the life-expired lead work, has created water-logged timbers and fungal decay. Sixty leaks were discovered during the survey which reported, “an urgent programme of recovering the high level roof is now a priority for the Minster since the medieval roof timbers are now being put at serious risk”.

The project was completed in March 2021 with renewed lead roof coverings on the south lesser transept roof, adjustment of gutters to meet current standards, repairs to the timber roof structure and repairs to eroded stonework.

The restoration work is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Beverley Minster Old Fund.

The Fund receives no help from official sources. Its income is derived entirely from investments, legacies and donations. Inevitably a building of the size and quality of the Minster is extremely expensive to maintain, and a good deal of money, beyond the Fund’s present resources, will be needed in the near future to combat the inexorable process of ageing.

Who we are

Beverley Minster Old Fund is run by a board of trustees, some are appointed as  Ex-Officio Trustees appointed by then church authorities others are representatives of  The Archbishop of York , The Archdeacon of the East Riding county of York and the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral of York. There are representatives of the Parochial Parish Council (PCC) and co-opted trustees. The Trustee board tries to have a diverse group of people who have had wide industry experience. The current board has trustees who have experience as solicitors, bank managers , building contractors, and entrepreneurial backgrounds. There is also support from Rebecca Dymond, qualified accountant, who acts as treasurer to the Fund and The Minster Surveyor , Simon Delaney.