Beverley Minster possessed two bells in 1050. Four bells were installed in 1366, three of which are still in use in the Minster after having been recast. In the south-west tower there is a bell weighing over 7 tonnes and which is over 7 feet in diameter. It is a non-swinging bourdon bell called Great John, which chimes the hour and dates from 1901.

Beverley Minster is one of the largest parish churches in the UK, larger than one-third of all English cathedrals.

King Henry III granted 40 oaks from Sherwood Forest in 1252 to help rebuild Beverley Minster after the fire of 1188 completely destroyed it along with much of the town.