Volunteers who navigated the challenging course of history

MORE than 10,000 historic maps showing how North Yorkshire has changed over the decades have been saved for prosperity by hard-working staff and volunteers.

Shrinking storage space at the County Record Office in Northallerton, combined with concern about the deteriorating condition of some documents, led to four years of work by the market town's branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A).

Members dedicated one day a week to the task, involving the removal of duplicates and the creation of a database to promote ease of access. The remaining collection of OS maps has been repaired and microfilmed, and will be permanently preserved.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coun Chris Metcalfe, Executive Member with responsibility for the County Record Office, said: "We are tremendously grateful to these volunteers who have given so freely of their time.

"Their work has opened up this valuable collection of historic maps for the benefit of communities and researchers throughout North Yorkshire. This is work that we could never have achieved without the help of these volunteers.

"Storage space is at a premium and many maps were damaged and in need of conservation."

The 25" scale maps, dating from the 1890s, chart changes in landscape, boundaries, communications and buildings for the whole of North Yorkshire, and provide evidence for the growth of towns and settlements such as Catterick Garrison. The new database is accessible in the Record Office's public searchroom where originals and microfilmed copies are available to view.

The Ordnance Survey Department was born in 1841 when its maps were vital for national defence, land management and civil engineering.