Curious carvings project

There are over 600 bosses on St Mary’s ceilings. These curious carvings are a vibrant visual record of the lives, hopes and dreams of our medieval and Tudor ancestors – a way of storytelling without words.

We are preserving and interpreting this exceptional heritage as part of a project to restore the crumbling stonework of the north nave clerestory – a vulnerable area of the church, in which many of the bosses are housed. This marks the first phase in a major proposed programme of essential repairs to the building over the next ten years.

What is a boss and why are St Mary’s bosses so special?

What’s happening at the moment?

All about the Bosses

Boss of the week

Blogs about the bosses, exploring their meaning

Video podcasts

Documentaries about the history of Beverley told through the bosses

Media centre

News, communications and press releases about the project

Schools & colleges

St Mary’s is a firm favourite among local schools for visits and study

Heads up!

Coming soon: a database containing information and ultra high definition photos of all 637 bosses, plus 3D images, interpretations and more.

Volunteers

Profiling and celebrating some of our wonderful volunteers

Restoration works

Images, stories and information from the skilled craftsmen carrying out the conservation works

Learning resources

Materials and activities to do and download, for education … and for fun!

Partners & team

The individuals and organisations with whom we are proud to work on this exciting project

Creatives’ corner

St Mary’s curious carvings are inspiring people to get creative … see their handiwork here

Vision & mission

The principles which guide us in our work on the project and the partnerships we make

Project timeline

The story of the project from its conception to delivery, including all major events along the way


Our strategic partner on the project

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund