| There has been a church on the site of Howden Minster since the early 11th century, it was held by the Abbey of Peterborough. In 1080 William the Conqueror gave the manor and the church to William, Bishop of Durham. In 1267 the Prior and Convent obtained permission to establish Howden as a collegiate church governed by a chapter of priests. Between 1280 and 1330 a choir, nave and the south porch were built. The chapter house was added between 1380 and 1400. The then Bishop Skirlaw was responsible for building the middle section of the tower. The top section of the tower was completed at the end of the 15th century when Skirlaw's grammar school had new buildings erected adjoining the south side of the nave. The school existed until the 1920s. In the 1540s the church became the responsibility of the parishioners and was not kept in good repair. The roof and the spire of the chapter house fell down in 1750. In 1970 the Department of the Environment took the Minster into guardianship and began an extensive programme of repairs which included re-roofing the chapter house (which was only completed in the 1990's). |