Crypt-ic

I think this was the first time I'd ever descended into the Crypt under York Minster. It is fascinating. There is a window in the floor illuminating what lies even further beneath: the remains of a Roman fortress. The Crypt is the earliest part of the Minster and dates back to Norman times, with curved rib vaulting and carved pillars. 

It contains the tomb of York's patron saint, Saint William. William Fitzherbert was Archbishop of York from 1141 to 1147 and again from 1153 to 1154, dogged by controversy and power struggles. His death may have been by poisoning. See HERE for more about him.

The Crypt also contains the gruesome Doomstone, which has been dated to the 12th century, a remnant from the original Norman Minster. The carvings depict one of the mouths of Hell, crawling with toads and with sinners tumbling down into a cauldron of flames held up by demons. There is someone with two bags of money (greed) and a well-dressed woman (lust). It was meant as a visual warning as to what may happen if people behaved in an un-Godly manner.