Lotto cash to preserve Minster windows

THE HERITAGE Lottery Fund will pump up to £1m into a 20-year initiative to “double-glaze” all 128 of York Minster’s stained glass windows for future generations.

The work is part of a long-term project to protect the windows with layers of modern glazing that keeps out wind and moisture.

The Lottery Fund will match money raised by the York Minster Fund to establish an endowment that will help pay for the £11m project.

The work will be carried out by York Glaziers Trust, the Minster’s in-house team of specialists, which earlier this week celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Only about 40 per cent of the Minster’s glass is currently protected. Other windows are said to be decaying faster than they can be conserved.

The Dean of York the Very Rev Vivienne Faull, said: “Condensation which builds up on the glass causes it to corrode and the paint to deteriorate and flake away.

“We’re therefore in a race against time to protect these irreplaceable works of art for future generations.”

Nicolas Barker, chairman of the trustees of the Glaziers Trust, said: “The cathedral has historically led the way when it comes to protecting its stained glass.

“In 1861 it was the first British cathedral to provide protection for its windows, and more recently it has employed UV resistant glazing on its Great East Window.”