The cathedral of St. Peter, commonly known as the Minster, is in the form of a Latin cross, consisting of nave with aisles, transepts, choir with aisles, a central tower and two west towers. It occupies the site of the wooden church in which King Edwin was baptized by Paulinus on Easter Day 627. Following his bap tism, Edwin began to build a church in stone, but it was partly destroyed during the troubles which followed his death. It was repaired but suffered from fire in 741. At the time of the Norman invasion the Saxon cathedral with the archbishop's library, per ished in the fire by which the greater part of the city was de stroyed, the only relic remaining being the central wall of the crypt. It was reconstructed in 1070-1100, but of this building few portions remain. The apsidal choir and crypt were rebuilt in 1154-81, the south transept in 1216-55, and the north transept and central tower in 1228-56. With the exception of the crypt the early English transepts are the oldest portions of the building now remaining. The south transept is the richest and most elab orate in its details, one of its principal features being the magnifi cent rose window; the north transept contains a famous series of lancet windows called the "Five Sisters," with specially fine glass. The foundation of the new nave was laid in the last years of the 13th century and the work was completed about 134o; the chapter house was built about the same period. The Lady chapel and presbytery were begun in the early Perpendicular style in 1361. The rebuilding of the choir was begun at the same period, but was not completed until about 1400. It is late Perpendicular, with a very fine great east window. During this rebuilding, the whole of the ancient Norman edifice was removed and the only Norman architecture now remaining is the east portion of the crypt of the second period. To correspond with the later altera tions the central tower was recased and changed into a Perpen dicular lantern tower in 1444. The south-west tower was begun in 1432, and the north-west tower in 1470, and with the erection of this tower, the church was completed as it now stands ; it was reconsecrated on Feb. 3, 1472. The woodwork of the choir was burnt in 1829 and in 1840 the south-west tower was reduced to a mere shell by fire.
The stained glass, both in the cathedral and in other churches of the city, is famous; its survival may be traced to the stipulation made by the citizens, when surrendering to parliament in the Civil War, that it should not be damaged. During the World War, the fall of German aircraft bombs in the vicinity of the Minster made it advisable to remove some of the most precious mediaeval glass to a position of safety. It was then found that owing to the corrosive effect of the atmosphere, it was necessary to clean each quarry, and lead lights in many instances replace stone mullions. About three-fifths of the work has been com pleted, including that on the "Five Sisters" window, the cost of which was borne by the women of the country as a national memorial to the women of the empire who gave their lives in the World War.
St. Mary's abbey situated in the present museum gardens was founded for Benedictines in 1078; its head ranked as a mitred abbot with a seat in parliament. The principal remains of the abbey are the north wall and the ruins of the church in Early English and Decorated styles, and the principal gateway with a Norman arch. They lie outside the walls near the cathedral. The hospitium, built in the 14th and 15th centuries with its upper part of wood, houses the collection of Roman antiquities.
York also possesses a large number of churches of special architectural interest including All Saints, North street, Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular, with a spire 120 ft. in height; Christ church with south door in Decorated style, supposed to occupy the site of the old Roman palace ; Holy Trinity, in Goodramgate, Decorated and Perpendicular, with Perpendicular tower; Holy Trinity, Micklegate, formerly a priory church, now restored, showing Roman masonry in its walls; St. Denis, Walmgate, with rich Norman doorway and
Norman tower arches; St. Helen's, St. Helen's square, chiefly Decorated; St. John's, North street, chiefly Perpendicular; St.
Margaret's, Walmgate, celebrated for its curiously sculptured Norman porch and doorway; St. Mary the Elder, BishOphill, Early English and Decorated, with brick tower, rebuilt in 1659; St. Mary the Younger, Bishophill, with a square tower in the Saxon style, rebuilt probably in the 13th century; St. Mary, Castlegate with Perpendicular tower and spire 154 f t. in height, the body of the church dating back to transitional Norman times; St. Michael-le-Belfry, founded in io66, but rebuilt in 1538 in late Perpendicular style; St. Martin's-le-Grand, fine Perpendicu lar; and St. Martin's-cum-Gregory, Early English and Perpen dicular.
The ancient city is enclosed by walls dating in part from Norman times, but they are, in the main, of the 14th century.
Their circuit is a little over 21 m. and the area enclosed is divided by the river Ouse, the larger part lying on the left bank. On the east for a short distance the Foss takes the place of a wall. The walls are pierced by four principal gates or bars. On the south west is Micklegate bar, a square tower built over a circular, probably Norman, arch, and with embattled corner turrets on which the heads of traitors were formerly exposed. Bootham bar, the main entrance from the north also has a Norman arch.
Monk bar on the north-east, at one time known as Goodramgate bar, has borne its present name since at least as early as 1370. Malmgate bar retains the barbican which was repaired in 1648.
Of the castle built by the Conqueror, in 1068, in the angle between the Ouse and the Foss, some portions were probably incorporated in Clifford's tower, the shell of which, showing an unusual ground plan of four intersecting circles, rises from an artificial mound. To-day, the castle serves as the prison and county courts.
St. William's college, near the Minster, was founded in as a college for priests holding chantries in the Minster; its restoration as a church house and meeting place for Convoca tion was undertaken in 1906. Restoration of the Merchant Adven turers hall, a mediaeval building with half-timbered work has been in progress for some years.
The county borough was created in 1888. The division of Yorkshire into three separate administrative and registration counties has deprived York of its position as a civil capital. The municipal city and the Ainsty (a district on the south-west included in the city bounds in are, for parliamentary purposes, included in the North Riding; for registration purposes in the East Riding ; and for all other purposes in the West Riding. The parliamentary borough extends into the East Riding. York is the garrison town and headquarters of the northern command.
See Francis Drake, Eboracum; or the History and Antiquities of the City of York, from its origin to the present time (1736) ; Extracts from the Municipal Records of the City of York during the reigns of Edward IV., Edward V., and Richard III. (1843) ; Victoria County History, Yorkshire; J. Raine, York (1893) ; A. P. York Minster (1897) ; Heraldry of York Minster (Leeds, i8go) ; B. S. Rowntree, Poverty: a Study of Town life (i9oi) ; Gordon Home, Roman York (1924) ; C. Wellbeloved, Eboracum or York under the Romans (1842) ; M. Sellers, The Merchant Venturers Guild; Handbook, Brit. Assoc., York Meeting, 1906, York Mercers and Merchant Ven turers, Surtees Society.