Go behind the scenes at York Minster's Heritage Fair

Visitors will be amongst the first to go behind the scenes at York Minster’s Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management at a one-off Heritage Fair on Saturday 2 August.

The day's events will allow members of the public to explore two new buildings – the Heritage Quad and the Works & Technology Hub – which together constitute the next generation of heritage conservation at the Minster: The Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management. Built to the highest environmental standards, the buildings host both traditional craft skills and the latest in stonecutting technology, powered by solar panels and fed by rainwater capture systems.

Visitors will also meet the Minster’s stonemasons in their new Heritage Quad, view some of the incredible craft skills used on site, and explore the latest in digital technologies used to care for the Minster at the Works & Technology Hub, where visitors will also be able to meet the skilled conservators and craftspeople of the York Glaziers Trust.

The Centre of Excellence represents a significant development not just for York’s historic buildings, but for worldwide heritage conservation: the Minster’s team consulted with heritage estates as far away as Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand when designing and building the Centre. The Heritage Fair will bring this international community together in a series of livestreamed lectures from global partners on Friday 1 August - Yorkshire Day!

York Minster and York Glaziers Trust have long histories of training the next generation of craftspeople, represented on the day by a careers pavilion, located in front of the York Minster Refectory, with representatives from across the heritage sector.

Alex McCallion, Director of Works and Precinct, outlined the significance of the Heritage Fair: “Saturday 2 August will be a special day for us as welcome visitors to the Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and  Estate Management – a major development for us at the Minster, and arguably one of the most important projects of our adopted Neighbourhood Plan.

“The day will give everyone an opportunity to come and see the new Works & Technology Hub on Deangate and the incredible Heritage Quad, which houses our stonemasons and apprentice accommodation. We aim to inspire the next generation of heritage craftspeople and build pride in this major development for York and the wider heritage sector.

“We are incredibly grateful to all the donors, supporters and partners who have made the Centre of Excellence possible – including significant donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation, Julia Rausing Trust and York Minster Fund, our lead fundraising partners. The Heritage Fair has also been funded via the generosity of the Friends of York Minster and PMJ Masonry.

“The Centre represents a gear change in how we care for historic buildings in the 21st century, carefully balancing traditional skills and using technology as one of our many tools.  It also provides a blueprint for others as we continue to share knowledge and new opportunities for collaboration. We are delighted to be welcoming many of our national and international partners who will join us for the Fair. Please do come and celebrate the new Centre with us.”

Professor Sarah Brown, Director of the York Glaziers Trust, said: “While stained glass is an ancient craft, its care and conservation in the 21st century can only benefit from access to the cutting-edge facilities and training opportunities afforded by the Centre of Excellence. We are delighted to be participating in this exciting event.”

Free, pre-booked tickets are required to visit the Heritage Quad and the Works and Technology Hub. Tickets are available here: York Minster | Heritage Fair. No tickets are required to visit the Careers Pavilion.