The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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York Minster Fire
A devastating fire engulfs and destroys a significant section of York Minster in this poignant film from 1984.
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Overview
This perturbing short film conscientiously captures the horrific fire that ripped through York Minster in 1984. Although silent, the film’s colour pictures speak louder than words from the beginning. The camera flits between ground and aerial shots throughout as firefighters slowly gain control and extinguish the fire1
The York Minster fire broke out in the early hours of 9th July 1984. It is thought that a lightning bolt was responsible for starting the fire that subsequently destroyed the south transept. Other possibilities such as arson and electrical faults have been discounted to a large extent. The fire caused £2.25 million worth of damage and it took 4 years to restore the building back to its former glory.
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