Walk around to the back of the York Minster and a craftsman might be found plying a trade that would be as familiar today as is was back in the middle ages when the great cathedral was built. Today the limestone, as then, is from a Yorkshire quarry.
Many skilled craftsmen and women look after York Minster, not only to restore and recreate the historic masonry but also to replace those objects and grotesques that have been worn away by the Yorkshire weather. The little area at the back of the minster is to show the public the mason's art. This particular Yorkshire mason said he likes being out here, although it seems some of his colleagues are more reticent as he was the only one on the day we visited.
From a plain piece of magnesium limestone comes a work of art, ready to slot into place on the Minster facade
An entry to
ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet this week sojourning at Y
