York Minster auctions stained glass panel replicas

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-33928284

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Replicas of panels of stained glass from York Minster are amongst items being sold by the cathedral.

The panels come from a printed near life-sized replica of the Great East Window and covered it during restoration work.

The 600-year-old window is one of the largest expanses of medieval stained glass in England.

The annual fundraising auction begins at the minster at 12:30 BST.

Work to conserve the window began in 2008 and is a major part of a £20m project of restoration work.

Glaziers have begun restoring the glass to the window, but it will not be completed until 2018.

Stonework removed during work on the East Front and a selection of parts of 14th Century oak ribs and bosses from the vaulted roof of the South Transept, destroyed by fire in 1984, will also be auctioned.

John David, York Minster's master mason, said: "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."

Last year a similar auction, also held in Dean's Park, raised more than £40,000.