stained glass west window

Stained Glass

The great storm of 1608 blew out much of the medieval glass in the building and it was collected together in the east window in the restoration of 1645 – 1725. Examples from later periods are well represented.

The oldest glass in the Minster is found in the great east window. The eastern end of the Minster was built in the 13th century but as fashions changed the original lancet windows were replaced by the large 15th century ‘perpendicular’ style window you see today. Although the glass would have been contemporary with the window of 1416, the great storm of 1608 blew out the glass in this and other windows in the Minster. The result today is a collection of glass from the 13th – 15th centuries pieced together in 1645. The window has had several restorations and was completely removed during the second world war. The image of the crucifixion (below) is at a high level and cannot be seen from the floor.

Elsewhere in the Minster glass has been added over the centuries. The great west window was built between 1859 and 1864 by Hardman and Co. of Birmingham and tells the early history of Christianity in Northumbria.

The latest addition to the Minster’s glass is in the retrochoir adjacent to the east window. It is part of an art installation by Helen Whittaker who recently made the glass for the windows designed by David Hockney in Westminster Abbey.

Read more about the retrochoir art here >

A book about Stained Glass in Beverley Minster was published in 2020 and is available to buy online here >