VISITORS to York Minster will soon be able to go from the deepest of depths to the highest of heights, after staff unveiled a range of new tours.

Three new “hidden Minster” tours are being launched, offering access to previously unseen areas, including the interior of the Chapter House roof, the walkway atop the Five Sisters Window, and crypt passages between the exterior walls of the current Minster and the previous Norman Minster.

Staff and selected guests have been trialling the tours in recent weeks and they will first be offered to the public at the Night Fever event this Sunday, when the Minster is open until midnight as part of a national museums celebration.

The tours will then be offered to all visitors from later this summer, priced at £5 each.

Howard Mosley, operations co-ordinator at the Minster, said: “This is the only opportunity people will get to see parts of the Minster they have not seen before.

“When you look above your head there is so much more to see than what you can see from the ground. There is so much more here than meets the eye.”

Staff have drawn up three tours for visitors to choose from. Each one lasts from an hour to an hour-and-a-half.

The “early Minster” tour takes visitors down into the crypt. They then climb a spiral staircase from behind St John’s Chapel, to reach the walkway above the Five Sisters Window in the north transept, getting stunning views across to the Rose Window.

The second tour takes visitors to the West End and Bell Towers, while the third tour encompasses the Mason’s Loft and Chapter House roof.

Mr Mosley said: “These tours will greatly increase accessibility in the Minster.”

For more information, phone 01904 557216.