Dr Chris Tuckley, head of interpretation and learning at Jorvik Viking Centre, said the smells are vital to the immersive experience.

“Most famously, the smells of cesspits and their rotting contents produce a sense of filth and squalor by 21st century standards, but other smells carry the message that the Viking-era city was a busy, productive and connected place. 

“For this reason, we have the smell of smoke and fumes created by the city’s metalworkers; of tallow candles that lit the gloomy interiors of workshops and houses; of the incense burned by the priests who served the city’s Christian populace; of the forests and marshy, wild areas that fringed the city; and the fishy smell of a quay on the river Foss where the fishermen landed their catch.

“We know from visitor feedback gathered over the last quarter century that our visitors find Jorvik’s smells one of the most memorable aspects of their visit.”