Topping Out Ceremony at York Minster

Old met new when York Minster’s state of the art workspace created to house its team of stonemasons and heritage craftspeople was blessed in a topping out ceremony.

Old meets new at York Minster

Topping out can be traced back as far back as the 7th century when Scandinavians would place a tree on top of a completed building to appease the tree gods.

Buy despite its Norse history, it was God’s blessing on this new home that was sought at York Minster’s ceremony on Wednesday 17 July.

Alex McCallion, Director of Works and Precinct at York Minster, said:

“This is a symbolic milestone in this incredibly exciting project as we begin the final stages of construction ready for the team to move into their new facilities this Autumn.

“This traditional ceremony also gives us an opportunity to thank our many benefactors who have supported York Minster Fund in this fundamentally important project to safeguard the future of York Minster, but the traditional crafts that are needed to care for a complex estate such as this.”

Built in the shadow of the city walls, the Heritage Quad is part of the Minster’s Neighbourhood Plan, which is transforming the Minster Precinct for the challenges of the 21st century. The Neighbourhood Plan has already seen two new green spaces created to the east of the Minster, free for all to enjoy, plus the Minster Refectory which was opened in spring 2023 by His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla

And as well as providing state of the art workspaces for the Minster’s masons, the Heritage Quad will include accommodation for apprentices, rooftop solar panels, and rainwater capture systems.  Its positioning means that visitors to York will be able to walk the city walls and gaze down into the workshops to see the stonemasons at work.