The Archbishop of York will turn the clock back more than 500 years when he attends a specially recreated medieval feast.

Food historian Peter Brears tries out 15th century dishesat The Grange, Clifton

Dr David Hope will be reviving a tradition that was last observed in York Minster for Archbishop Neville in 1467 when he takes part in the Fifteenth Century feast in the city's Merchant Adventurers' Hall.

Dishes that will form part of the medieval meal, to launch the festivities for this year's York Early Music Christmas Festival, have already been sampled at the Grange Hotel in Clifton.

They were lovingly recreated by leading food historian Peter Brears, who is a museum and historic house consultant and a trustee of the Crosland Foundation, which operates the award-winning Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton-le-Hole, near Kirkbymoorside.

The feast will be held on Friday, December 3, the first of a series of festivities for the Christmas period which will include the traditional Sheriff's Riding on December 21, as well as concerts, talks and other entertainment.

Dr Hope is a vice-president of the York Early Music Foundation, which is organising the feast. Tickets will be available from October 4, and full details will be available from the festival office, PO Box 226, York, YO30 5ZU (telephone 01904 658338).

The National Early Music Centre is due to be opened next Easter at St Margaret's Church, in Walmgate, York.

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