York Minster Studentship

York Minster is the mother church of the Northern Province and the Cathedral for the Diocese of York. It is a centre for Christian life in the North of England and is one of the most iconic and famous buildings in the United Kingdom.

York Minster has been a place of prayer and pilgrimage for almost 1,400 years and worship is still at the heart of Minster life. It is also a gothic masterpiece in stone and stained glass. It is a magnet that draws people to visit the City of York and is a defining symbol of the ancient “capital of the North”. Each year around 700,000 people from all over the world come to explore the Minster, and visitor surveys find a high level of satisfaction from their experience. It is one of the centres of York’s lively cultural life, hosting many concerts and exhibitions alongside the daily pattern of worship and prayer.

York Minster’s collections consist of over 300,000 objects, from stained glass, silver and furniture to archaeology, stonework and textiles. The Minster is home to an Accredited Museum, the Undercroft Museum, the largest Cathedral Library in the country with over 90,000 volumes, and archival records and manuscripts dating back a thousand years.

Placement Project - St William of York

The tomb of St William, the patron saint of York, is in the crypt of York Minster. Archbishop of York during the turbulent years of the mid-twelfth century, William fitz Herbert was recognised as a saint in the decades following his death and was formally canonised in 1226. St William’s life and cult has left a lasting legacy at York Minster, including in its stained glass and collections.

2026 will mark 800 years since the canonisation of St William. To support the ways in which York Minster will mark this anniversary, this placement will involve undertaking research and preparatory scoping work for an exhibition. This will include working with archival materials at York Minster Library and Archives, as well as the collection.