Features
Features of the interior include columns of Purbeck Marble, stiff-leaf carving, and the tomb of Lady Eleanor Percy, dating from around 1340 and covered with a richly-decorated canopy, regarded as one of the best surviving examples of Gothic art. A total of 68 16th century misericords are located in the quire of the Minster and nearby is a sanctuary or frith stool dating back to Anglo-Saxon times.
It is worth noting that the misericords were probably carved by the Ripon school of carvers, and bear a strong family resemblance to those at Manchester Cathedral and Ripon Cathedral.
The Church contains one of the few remaining Frith Stools (aka Frid Stools, meaning "peace chairs") in England. Anyone wanting to claim sanctuary from the law would sit in the chair. The chair dates from Saxon times prior to 1066.
The organ is mounted above a richly carved wooden screen dating from the late 19th century. There is a staircase in the north aisle which would have been used in collegiate times to gain access from and to the chapter house.
Improvements to the choir were made during the 16th and 18th century, and medieval glass which was shattered by a storm of 1608 was meticulously collected and installed in the East Window in 1725. The Thornton family, great craftsmen of the early 18th century, were responsible for the font cover and the west door. Another notable feature is the series of carvings of musicians which adorn the nave.
Read more about this topic: Beverley Minster
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