YORK is in danger of turning into a Disney-style medieval theme park in the Millennium.

That's the stark warning from university historian Simon Ditchfield, who says we need to reassess York's history and guard against giving preference to some aspects of the city's past over others.

Dr Ditchfield, of York University's history department and who specialises in Italy's past, also runs a course in heritage studies. He argues that we need to develop a broader interpretation of the historic importance of our key attractions.

He said: "The Minster is not as simple as it suggests. It takes on contested interpretations. To the tourist board, it is an icon attraction.

"To the clergy, it's a great place of God. To the aesthetic tourists, it's the ultimate experience for those who collect cathedrals. To others, it's a place where civic events take place. Also, it's the gothic horror backdrop used by ghost tour providers.

"And to the reluctant people dragged there, they will find it completely boring."

He would like to see more attention focused on the city's more recent past - the industrial age - with the key attractions being the old wharves, mills, and warehouses scattered across the city.

He said: "I suggest we really should have more periods to draw on rather than the medieval one with a bit of Roman attached."

He added: "If we merely privilege medieval past with Roman and Viking bits, in 50 years' time we won't have the choice, because the stuff will have gone."

He said that without broadening our interpretation of York's history we were in danger of turning the city into a "medieval Disneyfied theme park in the 21st century".

He identifies part of that happening already: "The whole city centre is covered in that ghastly concrete paving stone with those horrible heritage lamps. The whole thing seems unreal."

He criticises tourist and council chiefs for their "lack of imagination" in developing new selling points for historic York, saying the only recent development was the ghost tours.

During his course in heritage studies, which he teaches at York University, he said his students drew up an interesting tour of the city's industrial past, which many other people could be interested in, too. But praise was given to the link between Clifford's Tower and the recent Anne Frank exhibition. Dr Ditchfield said it was "brilliant" the way the ancient tower was used to help publicise the modern story of the brave girl.

Dr Ditchfield will give his lecture, entitled Consuming York's Past, on February 25, to regional business people who belong to the Enterprise Club, run by York University's research and industry office.

Patrick Thornber, of tourism initiative First Stop York, dismissed Dr Ditchfield's claims.

He said: "We welcome any efforts to further the knowledge of York's varied pasts."

He said there was plenty of information available in museums about York's industrial past, highlighting the National Railway Museum. He said York was also a modern, European city, as its choice for Ecofin proved.

"To say it's all about the medieval and Viking age is erroneous. It is a place where people work - not a medieval village."

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