York Minster is the centre of Christian life in the North of England, a place of prayer and pilgrimage, and one of the best known buildings in the United Kingdom. It is a magnet that draws people to visit the City of York from all corners of the globe.

The Minster sits within a ‘Precinct’ which contains Dean’s Park, the Minster School, a Library and Archive, homes for Minster Clergy, a Stoneyard and Minster offices which all support the day-to-day running and care of the Minster.

Why do we need a masterplan?

The Minster is preparing a masterplan to explore how the Precinct could evolve in the future to meet the changing needs of its community and visitors. It is a sensitive and complex area of the city and its future care must be planned for carefully.
The intention is the masterplan will be adopted as part of the City’s planning policy. It will provide the Minster with a clear strategy for the next twenty years and will be used to secure funding for individual projects.

We are working with the City of York Council, Historic England, a wide range of stakeholders and the community to get the best plan in place. We are at a very early stage, and this exhibition explains what we hope to achieve through the masterplan process.

Your ideas, suggestions and thoughts  will help to shape the masterplan – please let us know what’s important to you.

Download the full masterplanning PDF here