Showers in Minster Gates
by MJ Braithwaite
Minster Gates leads from the Rose Window and South Transept of York Minster to Stonegate. The South Transept is the oldest part of the present Minster.
In 1285, Edward I granted a licence to the Dean and Chapter to enclose the Minster precinct with a gated wall. These gates were to be closed at night, purportedly for the "prevention of nocturnal incursions of thieves" from the Minster Close; legend, however, has it that they were equally to prevent the nocturnal excursions of the young clergy, to the temptingly close Grope (now Grape) Lane! "Minster Gates" was the entrance to the city from the cathedral. These walls have long ago been destroyed, but the name remains.
When the cathedral was struck by lightning in 1984, the South Transept was gutted in the ensuing fire. Happily, it has been fully restored to its former glory.
Minster Gates has also been known as Bookbinders' Alley. York was, for a long time, the only place outside of London where a printing press was allowed to be set up, and Stonegate and Petergate were the heart of this industry. On the corner of Minster Gates is a carved wood bookseller's sign of Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom.
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