Unseen images of Yorkshire in the 1950s and 60s released by Historic England

The John Laing Photographic Collection contains thousands of previously unseen images dating mostly from the 1950s, 60s and 70s that were taken by photographers working for the construction firm, which ceased its building operations in 1992.

Everyday sights are included alongside records of landmarks such as Coventry Cathedral and the Barbican and major infrastructure projects including the opening of the M1 motorway.

Historic England have made the full archive available on their website.

The history of the abandoned Yorkshire railway line that could re-open for HS2However, only a small number of Yorkshire images have been preserved.

They include a series of pictures of the construction of Eggborough power station near Selby in 1963 and of the building of the Poppleton sugar beet factory in York in 1955.

There is also an interior shot of the Woolworth's store on Market Square in Richmond taken in 1963, and a number of images of the building of Doncaster Racecourse's new grandstand in 1969.

Most of the photos were commissioned to illustrate Britain's post-war housing boom, and showcased the Easiform developments of prefab homes. One of the archive images shows the Lord Mayor of Bradford meeting the couple moving into the city's 2,000th completed prefab in 1957.

John Laing Group were responsible for building the army camp at Catterick Garrison, near Richmond, in 1930 and the Holme Moss radio transmission mast near Huddersfield in 1951.

Beverley: How the town that time forgot escaped modern developmentHistoric England chief executive Duncan Wilson said:-

"We are delighted to bring to the public the fascinating John Laing Photographic Collection through digitising 10,000 images, which will be accessible to everyone through our website.

"The collection offers unparalleled insight into the construction of 20th century Britain - covering everything from cathedrals, mosques and housing, to bus stations, bridges and motorways.

"We hope our Breaking New Ground project will shine a light on prominent and everyday British landmarks, and inspire the next generation to enjoy and engage in the built heritage all around us."