Doncaster Minster

The great medieval church of South Yorkshire, rivalling York Minster in ambition

The Minster of St George — often called Doncaster Minster — is a large medieval-footprint church in the centre of the town that was comprehensively rebuilt by George Gilbert Scott in the 1850s in the Decorated Gothic style. The result is one of the finest Victorian churches in England: spacious, well-proportioned, with good Victorian glass and an impressive organ.

It became a Minster in 2004, recognising its historical and architectural importance. The building is free to enter and there are usually volunteers on hand to explain the history. The surrounding streets, particularly around the Corn Exchange and the market, retain a sense of the old market town character.

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A story
Doncaster Minster's original medieval building was entirely demolished and rebuilt between 1853 and 1858 by the Victorian architect George Gilbert Scott, who also designed the Albert Memorial and St Pancras railway station. Scott kept the medieval footprint but rebuilt everything else in a Decorated Gothic style. When John Betjeman described it as "the finest Victorian church in England," he was not exaggerating. The Victorian Society tends to agree.