Edwin's Wooden Chapel 627 A.D. Edwin's Minster begun (circ.) 628 " " finished by Oswald (circ.) 635 " " repaired by Wilfrid (circ.) 699 " " burnt down (?) 741 Albert rebuilds Minster (?) 767-780 Minster wholly or partially burnt 1069 Nave, Transepts, and perhaps Choir, built by Thomas (circ.) 1080 Choir and Crypt rebuilt by Roger 1154-1181 Present South Transept built 1230-1241 (circ.) " North Transept " 1241-1260 " Nave built 1291-1324 " Chapter-House built 1320 (?) " West Front of Nave built 1338 Vault of Nave built (circ.) 1354 Presbytery (or eastern part of Choir) built 1361-1370 (circ.) Choir (west of High Altar) built 1380-1400 (circ.) Central Tower built 1400-1423 (circ.) South-West Bell Tower built 1433-1447 North-West Bell Tower built 1470-1474 Choir injured by fire 1829 Choir repaired (circ.) 1832 Nave injured by fire 1840 Nave repaired 1841 South Transept restored 1875 It will be seen that it is doubtful whether the fire of 741 and the rebuilding of 767-780 mentioned by historians refer to the minster at all. The fact that a wooden chapel was erected for the baptism of Edwin in 627 seems to show that no Christian church had remained at York from Roman days, as at Canterbury; this chapel, therefore, is the first Christian building in York of which we have any definite record. The church of stone with which it was immediately replaced was finished by Oswald, after the death of Edwin in battle; whose head was carried thither and placed in the Chapel of St. Gregory. It has been supposed that there are remains of this original stone church in the crypt. In sixty years Edwin's church had fallen into great disrepair. It was restored by Archbishop Wilfrid about 669. The following account of the dilapidated condition of the building as he found it is taken from a versified life of Wilfrid, ascribed to Frithegode, a monk of the tenth century:-- Ecclesiae vero fundamina cassa vetustae, Culmina dissuto violabant trabe palambes, Humida contrito stillabant assere tecta; Livida nudato suggrundia pariete passa Imbricibus nullis, pluriae quacunque vagantur, Pendula discissis fluitant laquearia tignis, Fornice marcebant cataractae dilapidato.