YORK is often seen as one of the UK's more conservative cities, where tradition and history are strongly upheld.

But take a walk along Gillygate, near York Minster, and you find a place where York's heritage lives alongside a refreshingly liberal attitude.

The street, hit by planning blight until a project to build an inner ring road was abandoned about 20 years ago, is now enjoying a new lease of life.

Shops include women's bookshop Libertas, a Chinese medicine store and a sex shop. And if pro-cannabis campaigner Carl Wagner is to be believed, shoppers could soon stop off for a smoke in his cannabis caf.

Regular Gillygate shopper Nick Marshall, 23, of Tang Hall, York, said he was attracted by the blend of locals, tourists and shops in the street.

"There is a good atmosphere down here. I like looking in the charity shops, seeing what there is.

A 22-year-old student, who asked to be known only as Kate, said: "I am at Uni near here, so it's handy for me. I go to the shops here a lot, it is different to any other street in York and I like that."

Melanie Metcalfe, proprietor of Gothic clothing shop Noctule, said there was a special atmosphere in Gillygate.

"I think it is partly the fact a lot of people who come down here have to make the effort to do it. They enjoy the real variety of shops there is here, we appreciate them coming," she said.

Jenny Roberts, owner of Libertas, said: "Gillygate has a unique feel and is unique to York. It is an alternative shopping street and one we are proud of."

Martin Burton, from The Anti-Gravity Shop, said: "It is a good little street, there is a community feel to it.

"Its attraction is in the diversity. Much of York city centre is what you could find anywhere else, but streets like this, Goodramgate and Colliergate have a range of small independent shops offering people something different."

Updated: 11:48 Thursday, May 02, 2002