A MEDIEVAL alchemist is set to walk visitors along the fine line between science and magic at York’s Barley Hall this weekend.

A new exhibition called Magic & Mystery is to be held at the medieval hall off Stonegate, exploring how magic played an important role in medieval life.

Sarah Maltby, director of attractions for York Archaeological Trust, which runs the hall, said it was easy to forget that while modern science had explained many mysteries of the world, strange phenomena which we now know to have perfectly logical explanations would have appeared magical in medieval times.

“This is what we’ll be exploring during the opening weekend of Magic & Mystery,” she said.

She said one of the characters that particularly appeared to blur the lines between science and magic was the alchemist – an early form of chemist who sought to transform cheap base metals into precious elements like gold and silver.

“To the uninitiated, simple chemical processes would have appeared magical, but the act of transforming substances from one form to another inspired many alchemists to attempt what we now know to be impossible; the lure of creating precious gold from widely available metals including lead was incredibly attractive to anyone seeking wealth and power.

“This may have been a foolhardy pursuit, but one of the key substances that was believed to be required was called the philosopher’s stone, which still crops up in modern magical tales.”

The alchemist, aka Finn Brigham, will give demonstrations during the launch weekend in the Great Hall, whilst throughout the rest of the building and courtyard, hands-on crafting activities will see children making their own wands, medieval telescopes to watch the movements of the heavens, or even a potion bottle for a witch’s brew.

Alchemist demonstrations will be included in admission to the hall, which is open daily from 10am to 5pm, with activities running from 10am to 4pm. For more information, go to www.barleyhall.co.uk. Magical crafting activities will also be hosted every weekend during the school summer holidays, with pre-booking recommended.