This photo of Beverley Minster is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Beverley Minster in East Yorkshire is a parish church in the Church of England. It is one of the largest parish churches in the UK, larger than a third of all English cathedrals and regarded as a gothic masterpiece by many.
The Minster owes its origin and much of its subsequent importance to Saint John of Beverley, who founded a monastery locally around 700 AD and whose bones still lie beneath a plaque in the nave. The institution grew after his death and underwent several rebuildings.
After a serious fire in 1188, the subsequent reconstruction was over ambitious; the newly heightened central tower collapsed c1219, bringing down much of the surrounding church. Henry III granted oaks from Sherwood in 1253 and the high alter was dedicated in 1261. It took 200 years to complete the building work.