A NEW visitor attraction will open at York Minster this weekend which tells the story of the last 2,000 years of the important site.

Revealing York Minster is the largest visitor attraction set within a cathedral in the UK and is based in the undercroft.

The space was excavated during the 1970s revealing a hidden history beneath the minster, including a Roman barracks, Anglo-Saxon cemetery and the foundations of the Norman Minster.

The new attraction involves an interactive journey through two millennia of the city's history and features artefacts never previouslt seen by the public.

They include an elaborately carved, 1,000 year old Viking horn, known as the Horn of Ulf, which was presented by a Viking lord when he handed over the Minster land to the Chapter of York.

Also on display for the first time will be an illuminated manuscript, the York Gospels, brought to York around 1020AD.

The museum will also examine the Roman history of the site, from the first barracks to Constantine the Great, who ruled the Roman Empire from York and made Christianity the official religion of the Empire.

Mark Hosea, project director of York Minster Revealed, said: “This is a place visited by kings and queens for centuries, and the work being done within the cathedral today – whether looking after worshippers or conserving priceless stained glass – ensures that time never stands still here.”

It opens on Saturday, May 25. Admission is included in the entrance fee for the Minster, which is £10 adults and £9 concessions and valid for 12 months.