York Minster to mark 40 years since devastating fire

The fire started at about 02:30 following a bolt of lightning hitting the roof

Special services and events are to be put on to mark 40 years since a devastating blaze at York Minster.

On 9 July 1984 the south transept was gutted by flames after lightning struck the roof, resulting in one of the worst cathedral fires in modern times.

It caused more than £2.25m of damage and it took more than four years to repair and restore the minster.

The programme of events will remember the devastation caused and give thanks to those who work on the repairs.

The Very Reverend Dominic Barrington, Dean of York, said York Minster stands "as a sign of hope and new life, for that is the central message of the Gospel".

"In the summer of 1984, people watched in horror as flames consumed the roof of the South Transept, but - not for the first time in its existence - the cathedral survived this fierce fire, and continues to offer that message of resurrection within and well beyond the city, diocese and county we are called to serve," he said.

The fire started in the roof after a lightning strike, before it spread

On 9 July - the anniversary of the fire - a service of commemoration will take place, with a choir performing a selection of reflective music.The minster has also announced a new year-long exhibition, Out of the Ashes, will open on 29 June telling the story of how the fire unfolded.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a new digital trail around the building, with visitors able to access archive photos using QR codes dotted around the site.

A sound and light projection will illuminate the cathedral from 19 October to 2 November, featuring the accounts of the people who responded to the fire and then rebuilt the centuries-old minster.