The Master Builders

The construction of a great church

Medieval builders produced some of the finest structures that the world has seen, graceful in design and of immense size. This video introduces medieval technology, engineering and design methods by studying how a
cathedral was built with sophistication and skill. We follow the stages in the building of a cathedral from the earliest stages of fundraising and planning to the realisation of the building rising from the foundations to the roof. By looking at the existing fabric of Beverley Minster in an archaeological way, the video reconstructs some of the methods used to design and build it.

A present day architect shows how the masterbuilders used
the principle of proportional geometry to develop the complicated design with a minimum of equipment.
Excavations show evidence of how the foundations support the colossal weight of the building and overcome the problems of the natural earth beneath. Construction methods are shown including using scaffolding and cranes; building curved arches to form an interior framework and flying buttresses to transmit the great
forces to the ground and stop the walls from bulging. Finally, the cracks in the central tower serve a reminder
that not even the masterbuilders were infallible. The video is a stepping-off point for the study of any cathedral or medieval church.