Auction chance to take home of piece of Minster's history

Staff at the world-famous cathedral are auctioning off hundreds of stone carvings removed during a current multi-million pound restoration scheme, backed by the Yorkshire Post.

The auction will be held in the Minster School grounds and magnificent stonework ranging from medieval-style gargoyles to Victorian canopies is up for grabs.

York Minster's director of development, Richard Shephard, said: "These are marvellous bits of stonework of real historical significance to the building and there is a huge variety.

"Everything we raise from the auction we will put straight back into the restoration project and it will help us enormously."

During the auction, buyers will be provided with a brief description and a certificate which will explain the background to the stone.

Individual lots available range from complex tracery panels to smaller stones with simpler masonry detail.

The massive restoration project at York Minster has been costed at 19.1m and the majority of the money has been raised.

The work will transform the cathedral's world-famous Great East Window and its historic stonework.

It is designed to battle increased erosion on the building which has removed almost an inch of stone on the buttresses of the Minster's east front in less than 200 years.

The auction is taking place between 9am and noon.