Entertainment · Books & Arts · 6 hrs ago
Coventry Cathedral opens virtual access to medieval stained-glass archive
Coventry Cathedral has made a collection of medieval stained glass available to view online after photographing and cataloguing thousands of fragments.
The glass is believed to have been made in the 15th century by master glazier John Thornton, who also created the Great East Window at York Minster.
The windows were first broken during the Reformation and later dismantled for safekeeping before the cathedral was destroyed by German bombing in 1940.
The fragments were stored in wooden crates, and their full scale and importance were not clear to cathedral staff.
The collection includes biblical scenes, portraits of donors and detailed images of jewels and fabrics, as well as small pieces and patchworked panels.
Its newly organised archive gives visitors and researchers access to an important record of medieval craftsmanship and could support further research into how glaziers worked across different cathedrals.
Researchers may use AI tools to help reconstruct themes in the original windows, though no specific reconstruction plans are given.
Coventry Cathedral is offering virtual access to thousands of fragments from its medieval stained-glass windows.
The collection was photographed and catalogued in an ambitious project, making it accessible to visitors and researchers.
The fragments include biblical scenes, donor portraits, animals and details depicting jewels and fabrics.
The glass is attributed to John Thornton of Coventry, who also created the Great East Window of York Minster.
Researchers may use the archive to investigate the windows’ origins and the work of medieval craftspeople.
- Who
- Coventry Cathedral is offering access to the collection. Visitors and researchers can view it.
- What
- The cathedral has opened virtual access to an archive of medieval stained-glass fragments.
- When
- The virtual access is now available; the article was published on 9 November 2026.
- Where
- Coventry Cathedral, in Coventry, England.
- Why
- The project photographed and catalogued thousands of fragments, making the collection accessible and enabling further research.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The stained glass was first smashed.
The fragments were dismantled for safekeeping.
Coventry Cathedral was destroyed by the Luftwaffe.
An ambitious project photographed and catalogued thousands of pieces, enabling virtual access to the collection.
- Collection
- Thousands of medieval stained-glass fragments
- Storage
- 30 wooden crates in a cellar
- Artwork attribution
- John Thornton of Coventry
- Other work by Thornton
- The Great East Window of York Minster
- Cathedral destruction
- 1940, by the Luftwaffe
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What people are saying
The quality of the artwork is stunning
It would be really interesting to be able to see and build up a picture of how the medieval craftspeople moved around and worked in different cathedrals and different phases of work
a medieval jigsaw puzzle