PEOPLE have a chance to buy a piece of history as York Minster auctions off stonework, timbers and replicas of stained glass from the Great East Window.

Items for sale in the annual Minster stone auction include parts of the 14th-century oak ribs and bosses from the vaulted roof of the South Transept, which was destroyed by fire in 1984.

Also going under the hammer are sections of fabric featuring digital replicas of stained-glass panels from the cathedral’s Great East Window, the country’s largest, single expanse of medieval stained glass.

The fabric covered over the window for the past six years during the project to conserve and restore the window, which has been one of the largest projects of its kind in Europe.

Master mason John David said: "The auction always proves popular as it offers people a chance to bid on a wide-variety of stone removed from the cathedral during conservation works, while helping us raise funds for ongoing maintenance work.

“Both the 1984 fire and the project to return the cathedral’s East Front and Great East Window to their former glory and preserve them for future generations have been landmark events for the Minster, so the auction really will offer people the chance to own a piece of history.”

Auctioneer Rod Cordingley, of Stephenson and Son, has donated his time to run the auction, which will take place in Dean’s Park, at the north side of the Minster, at 12.30pm tomorrow, August 14. A preview will take place between 10am and noon.