One of York's most popular attractions is seeking extra volunteers to help make visits more enjoyable. MATT CLARK reports.

IT MAY have a haunted Roman road in the cellar, but for Emily Pitnam the best ghost story at Treasurer's House is found in the Tapestry Room.

She was in there during Illumination York and says all the volunteers wished her luck for being in the room at night. The more so because if someone walks across the floor next door, its boards squeak like a tortured wraith.

"There's a story, I like, about a volunteer who was checking her hair in the mirror," says Emily. "It's quite mottled and spooky and suddenly there was a woman dressed in black staring at her in the mirror, When she turned round no one was there, when she looked back the face was still gazing at her."

Not that such things are unusual. Treasurer's House is said to be the most haunted place in York and Emily reckons this particular ghoul wasn't best pleased at the girl's frivolity. When Frank Green owned the house he was extremely finicky about how his servants should conduct themselves. And the housekeeper would undoubtedly have been strict. Could it have been her?

Mr Green bought the property in 1897 to house his vast collection of art and antiques and was very precise about how the rooms should look and be kept. Staff members were expected to maintain his high standards and they still must; metal studs are placed in the floor to mark the exact position of the furniture.

When Mr Green gave the house to the National Trust in 1930 he vowed that if any changes were made he would return to haunt the building.

"It's all about preserving history and that's what he wanted," says Emily. "Frank Green wanted to preserve Treasurer's House for future generations, which is why he wanted room guides, rather than plaques. They would tell his story in a more personal way."

That''s how Emily got started, as a volunteer during her time at university.

"It's great for students," she says. "I studied history and this was right in the middle of the period I was studying. I can talk the hind legs off a donkey about it and I love people, so this was just perfect."

There are more than 300 volunteers at Treasurer's House. Some come in weekly, others monthly and Donna Owen says still there's room for more. You can do just about anything too, from room guiding or flower arranging to conservation cleaning.

Best of all, you don't need a wealth of stories to become a volunteer. Donna says for the first month new guides shadow experienced ones to see how everything works. You pick up quite a lot of anecdotes that way and can work out which ones prove popular.

But should you ever get stuck for ideas, each room has a booklet containing everything you need to know.

"We're trying to build a programme of speed volunteering," says Donna. "If people only have a few hours to spare they can just come along. We want to break down the impression that volunteering is about committing for 50 years or so. We're trying to make this a mutually beneficial relationship."

For Claire Roberts the garden was the draw. It's a man's garden, Frank Green's garden, very architectural and a fabulous place to eat your sandwiches on a balmy summer's day.

Last year it won gold at Yorkshire in Bloom.

"I've lived in York since my early 20s and this is the garden I visited over all those years," says Claire. "I was a bit anxious about not having much experience of gardening, but I was told don't worry, just put in an application form. I came here because I wanted to do something with people."

Trish Jay says that is the only qualification is you need. She certainly enjoys being with people and has been a volunteer at Treasurer's House for 14 years.

"One of the things that keeps me coming is that every Thursday afternoon is different," says Trish. "The fundamental continuity comes from a group who you get to know extremely well and who become great friends. But the other dimension is the visitors; are all very different."

Which is why room guides are taught how to spot whether they want to talk or not.

"If they just want to wander around and enjoy the feeling of the place, that's fine," says Trish. "Some want to tell you their life story, especially if they are from abroad."

Others simply want to dress up and one of the strangest requests Trish recalls involved a Georgian football team. Not 18th century re-enactors, but sportsmen from the Caucasus.

"I was in the King's Room and they all wanted to dress up as Edward VII, so one after the other I posed them in costume by bed," she says. "It was a fabulous afternoon."

Emily always asks if there are any questions at the end of her tours and sometimes to her regret. The other day a visitor wanted to know how to get to Marks and Spencers. She's even had requests for directions to the Minster, even though it is directly opposite.

"I've also been asked who my favourite ghost is and that's a hard one because we've got quite a few," says Emily. "I love the idea that history could still be living in a property like this."

Volunteering in National Trust properties such as Treasurer's House allows you to indulge your passion for heritage and provide you with ‘behind-the-scenes’ access to some of the country’s most beautiful places. The Trust provides the training; you just need to have the passion and enthusiasm to share your interests with others.

If you would like to apply, email: treasurershouse@nationaltrust.org.uk or write to Treasurer's House, Minster Yard, York, YO1 7JL. Telephone: 01904 624247