MORE than 5,000 children have sampled history lessons with extra blood and gore at the region's most gruesome tourist attraction this year.

Now York Dungeon is mailing more than 3,500 primary and secondary schools with an incentive to add a bit of drama to learning about the city's dark past.

Schools across the region will receive wallcharts highlighting the different events featured at the dungeon.

Pupils will be enticed with Black Death facts and figures, plus Dick Turpin's secrets, Viking trivia and an insight into the Gunpowder Plot.

"Each wall chart also includes a helpful timeline, cataloguing key historic events in chronological order," said Dungeon spokesman Scott Williamson.

"We've seen almost a ten per cent increase in school visits this year, and that's a trend we are keen to encourage."

On the back of every chart will be a history quiz, and an accompanying letter details discounts.

Published: 06/10/2004