York Minster in £4m appeal for heritage craft skills centre

Cathedral York Minster has launched an appeal to raise £4m towards a new centre for ancient craft skills. 

The Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills will focus on traditional crafts such as stonemasonry and glaziery - skills neeeded to preserve the minster, which was built between 1220 and 1472. 

The original budget for the centre was expected to be £5m, but rising costs mean it is now likely to be closer to £9m.

York Minster is one of 10 English cathedrals to have its own stonemasonry department.

Neil Sanderson, Director of the York Minster Fund, said creating the centre would offer "long-term sustainable benefits both financially, and in the maintenance of heritage skills to York Minster, the heritage community, and the wider city".