This is far from the first crisis in the Minster's history, as CHRIS TITLEY reports

A BUILDING that has watched over York for more than 700 years is bound to have experienced some ups and downs.The most immediate in the memory dates from July 9, 1984. That was the morning when York residents awoke to discover their most treasured possession had been gutted by fire.

It could have been so much worse. But for the valiant work of the 125 firefighters who battled the blaze all night, the Minster would have been razed to the ground.

The Dean of York, Dr Ronald Jasper, days away from retirement, some of the Minster canons and the police also went into the building and rescued priceless treasures. They stripped the High Altar and the Lady Chapel Altar before thick smoke drove them out.

Even with their efforts, the building and its contents were devastated. The roof of the 13th century South Transept lay in rubble on the ground. The stunning stained glass had been shattered into 40,000 pieces.

Altogether, the inferno wreaked £2 million-worth of damage.

Pictures of the smouldering Minster were beamed around the world. Money for the rebuilding fund soon poured in.

Thanks to everyone's generosity, and the remarkable skill of a team of craftsmen, York Minster was rebuilt to its former glory. Only six years after the fire, the Queen came to York to officially re-open the restored South Transept.

This wasn't the only fire to hit the Minster. In 1753, workmen fixing lead on the Minster roof accidentally set fire to the gutter, leading to a major blaze.

And there was an undisputed case of arson in 1829. Jonathan Martin, born in Hexham, had been press-ganged into the Navy and fractured his skull in a fall on board ship.

This led to him being visited by "visions and revelations" and he began to denounce the Minster clergy as workers for the devil.

So he was the natural suspect after a blaze causing £70,000 of damage was found to have been started deliberately. Upon capture, Martin confessed immediately and spent the last nine years of his life incarcerated at St Luke's asylum in London.

The future of York Minster was again thrown into doubt in 1967. In that year, a survey of the great church's fabric made frightening reading.

"From what has been seen it seems almost a miracle that the foundations have performed their task up to today but with recent changes in the water table it cannot be guaranteed that they will continue to carry their burden...

"Judging from the movements in the last 30 years the probable life of the Central Tower structure is another 15 years if nothing is done. If a shock such as a mild earth tremor or piling of nearby foundations were received, the structure might easily collapse."

It was recommended that a seven-year programme of repairs started as soon as possible. A daily watch was begun to ensure the Minster was still safe to receive visitors.

The cost of saving the cathedral was put at £2 million, a huge sum in the Sixties. Thanks to a magnificent fund-raising effort, the target was reached within five years.

Once again, the great cathedral owed its continued existence to the kindness of thousands, and the expertise of a team of builders, stonemasons and engineers.

Their labours ensured that this York Minster has lasted somewhat longer than the four previous churches on the site.

Mind you, the construction of the Minster we see today - begun in 1215 and completed in 1472 - was not without setbacks. These included the collapse of the central tower; a master carpenter who lost his head for heights; and an outbreak of Black Death which killed the master mason and many craftsmen.

But every problem over the last eight centuries was eventually overcome, and so today the finest Gothic cathedral in the world still dominates our city skyline.

Updated: 10:44 Thursday, January 24, 2002