County plays its part delivering the news to Downton Abbey

When the production team wanted a 1922 edition of the Yorkshire Gazette to copy as a prop for the show, which is set in North Yorkshire, they turned to Malton Library for help.

And although the library’s original copies of the historic newspaper were too fragile to use, the archives team at the County Records Office in

Northallerton stepped in to make a copy using their state-of-the-art digital scanner and it is due to be used in an episode of the ITV drama

“North Yorkshire’s libraries and the county record office are a treasure trove of historic and important documents, and it was very gratifying that we were able to help the producers of this hugely popular programme with some authentic material,” said County Councillor Chris Metcalfe,

executive member for library and information services.

The old copy of the Yorkshire Gazette, from April 1922, was chosen from the library archive by Julie Atkinson, service development officer at the library.

“The producers wanted to create a mock-up of the paper for an episode they will be filming later this year, and it was important to find a copy which was in clear enough condition for their graphics team to work from,” she said.

“Although the original newspaper is in a fragile condition, we were able to get it scanned by Clare Farley in the reprographics department at the County Records Office, and the finished scans will be delivered to the Downton Abbey team this month.”

The fictional series is set in North Yorkshire with characters often uttering familiar place names from the county.