GLAZIERS have fitted the first fully-restored piece of York Minster's 600-year-old Great East Window.

More than 310 stained glass panels from the centuries-old window were removed seven years ago for conservation, and the York Glaziers Trust have spent more than 70,000 hours restoring the pieces.

The panel, called God The Father, sits at the top of the window - which is the largest single medieval stained glass window in the country - and more than 150 other pieces are expected to be returned to the window in the next three months.

Sarah Brown, Director at York Glaziers Trust, said: "It is a fantastic achievement by the team to have reached this milestone and to begin returning the stained glass to the window marks an important date in York Minster’s history.

"The Great East Window is one of the great artistic achievements of the Middle Ages, a stunning expanse of stained glass of unparalleled size and beauty in Britain. The work undertaken as part of this project will ensure this masterpiece is preserved for hundreds of years to come. In terms of returning the glass to the window, it seemed fitting to start with God the Father and work downwards, with the medieval perception of human history unfolding beneath his feet."

The God The Father panel was made between 1405 and 1408 under master glazier John Thornton of Coventry, who was paid £56. The current restoration work has been part of the York Minster Revealed project, which will see a £20 million investment over five years, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Stonemasons have also worked with glaziers to replace weathered sections of the Minster, and the project is scheduled for completion next spring.

Work will continue on sections of the Great East Window from August, with an aim to restore it fully by 2018, but from early next year the window will be free from scaffolding.