Minster Woods

Every piece begins with a fire.

On the 9th of July 1984, lightning struck York Minster and the South Transept burned. The roof collapsed. Medieval oak that had stood for centuries came down with it.

What was salvaged from that fire became something else entirely.

Minster Woods creates handcrafted pens and gifts from wood reclaimed from the South Transept of York Minster Cathedral — a building whose history dates to c1250. Each piece comes with an original signed certificate of provenance from the Superintendent of Works at York Minster at the time the wood was reclaimed.

This is not a souvenir. It is a piece of one of England’s greatest buildings, shaped by hand in York, and certified as genuine.

The supply is limited and will never be replenished. When it is gone, it is gone.