York Minster

York Minster is not only the largest cathedral in England, it is the largest in the entire Commonwealth, and the seat of the Archbishop of York.

The original church on the site was made of wood. It was constructed quickly in AD 627 in order to provide a place of baptism for Edwin, King of Northumbria. Over the next 600 years many different building projects took place, and in 1220 construction started on the Gothic structure that we know today.

Although a building of this size and age requires a great deal of preservation, it is still standing strong after almost 800 years. In November 2002, York Minster joined in the festive spirit by being illuminated in colour for the first time in its history.

This stamp of York Minster was part of the British Architecture stamp issue from May 1969.

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