A phoenix from the ashes: Three fires at York Minster Sue Mendus, Professor Emerita at the University of York

Event details

York Ideas event

This fascinating talk looks at the practicalities and the politics surrounding three of the most famous fires at York Minster.

Often, the first question asked by visitors to York Minster is ‘where was the fire?’. They are usually asking about the fire of 1984, but the Minster has in fact been the scene of very many fires. This talk will focus on three of the most famous fires and their three, very different, causes: the 1829 fire, which was caused by an act of arson; the 1840 fire, which was caused by carelessness; and the 1984 fire, which was caused by a lightning strike. 

Join Professor Sue Mendus, a York Minster Guide, as she explains the different ways in which the Minster, the government, and the Church of England, responded to these fires.

Sue Mendus

Sue Mendus is Morrell Professor Emerita of Political Philosophy. She has published widely on topics in modern and historical political philosophy, with a special emphasis on the concept of toleration. In 2004 she was elected a Fellow of the British Academy, and from 2008 to 2012 she was Vice President (Social Sciences) of the Academy. She is a Founding Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.