A MEDIEVAL chapel in central York has been given a new lease of life, as a studio for glaziers working on the York Minster restoration.

York Glaziers Trust has moved into the 13th-century Bedern Chapel, off Goodramgate, using it as a workplace for conservators working on the Minster’s famous Great East Window.

Trust director Sarah Brown said the studio, which was formally opened at a special launch event, would be the only one of its kind in the country. Among the dignitaries at last night’s event was the Lord Mayor of York, Coun Brian Watson. He said: “I think this will open up a whole new vista of the windows.”

The York public is now being invited to take a look for themselves. The studio will be open to city residents during the York Residents Festival next week, before opening to the wider public.

Ms Brown said: “I think it’s going to be unique in England. It will be an opportunity for the public in York and further afield to come and see stained glass conservation behind the scenes.

“The studio will enable people to see conservators at work, especially as work on the East Window gets underway. There will be panels being conserved before your very eyes.”

Expert guides will be at the studio to advise visitors on what is going on.

The restoration of the Great East Window is expected to take at least five years, and is part of the wider York Minster Revealed project, supported by a £10 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The glaziers trust also secured a separate £390,000 lottery grant, which it has used to create the new studio.

The Trust was founded more than 40 years ago and is acclaimed as a European leader.

York has more medieval stained glass than any other city in the UK, with the Minster alone having 128 medieval windows.

In total, the Minster contains about two million separate pieces of glass.

Bedern Chapel was built in the 13th century and was the former chapel of the college of the Vicars Choral.

Free tickets to visit the studio during the forthcoming York Residents Festival are available from the York Glaziers’ Trust by emailing info@yorkglaziers.org.uk or phoning 01904 557228.

After the Residents’ Festival, visits will begin on Friday, February 13, at 2pm, departing from the group desk in the Minster. They will then be held each Wednesday and Friday, at a cost of £5 a person and will last about an hour. All ticket proceeds will go towards the York Minster Fund.