The Crypt

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Underneath the Quire are two crypts, which contain parts of the earlier Norman Cathedral.

In the Eastern Crypt there are three altars, dedicated to Bishop Paulinus, St. Hilda of Whitby and King Edwin. King Edwin was baptised nearby in 627, in the old Minster. At that time, important Roman buildings were still standing on this spot.

Communion services take place here, and there is also a font. Beneath the crypt is an ancient well.

The altar in St. William's Chapel (the Western Crypt) was a gift from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Leeds. This is an ecumenical place of worship.