RACHEL LACY visited some of York's forgotten attractions.

THE school holidays were over, the tourists had thinned out and residents had the chance to reclaim their city. So I decided it was time to get out with my daughter Carol and visit some of York's lesser known attractions.

For example, Barley Hall, in Coffee Yard off Stonegate. Many Yorkies have probably never set foot in this restored late medieval townhouse, but maybe they should think again.

The staff are keen and friendly, the displays can be touched, handled, sat on or worn where appropriate. Carol loved the fresh approach of sending visitors off with an audio tour voiced by, amongst others, Judi Dench, with the characters talking you through the rooms.

Next stop was another attraction that doesn't take a dry approach to history: the Eboracum Legion Bathhouse in St Sampson's Square. This must be in the running for York's smallest museum, and maybe the lowest - it certainly found Carol's level with lots of interesting Roman facts involving bodily functions.

Sponges on sticks were just the start of it, and if you don't know what they were used for then this is the place to find out (hard to swallow fact: somebody once committed suicide by swallowing one of these).

But all this wasn't enough to put us off a very good lunch, eaten upstairs in The Roman Bath pub, decorated with murals of Roman bathing scenes and carvings, with a nice little beer garden.

Refreshed, we headed to the Royal Dragoon Guards and Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire Museum, an attraction that is all too easy to miss in the shadow of Clifford's Tower. Another small but well laid out museum, and another tribute to York's military past - and, in this case, present too.

We ended with one of the grand views of York: we headed up the tower. It's hardly hidden away from the public, but so few of us go up.

It is a long way up there, and it was a relief to reach the battlements, where there are wonderful views across York.

In one day, we had plumbed the depths and scaled the heights, and gone some way towards rediscovering our own city.

Barley Hall

website: www.barleyhall.org.uk

2 Coffee Yard, Stonegate, York

Open: Tuesday to Sunday, ring for times. Also open Bank Holidays.

Tel: 01904 610275.

Eboracum Legion Bathhouse

www.yorkromanbath.co.uk

Open: 10am-7pm daily except Christmas day, admission payable at the bar.

Tel: 01904 620455 (pub)

Joint tickets available for Barley Hall and Eboracum along with Richard III Museum and Micklegate Bar Museum.

Royal Dragoon Guards and Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire Museum

3 Tower Street, York

Open: Monday to Saturday 9.30am-4.30pm.

Tel: 01904 642036.

Clifford's Tower

Open: daily, ring for times.

Tel: 01904 646940.

Updated: 16:24 Friday, October 10, 2003