Householders across North Yorkshire can delve into the history of their home thanks to a new exhibition in Northallerton.

The fascinating glimpse into the history of houses across the county is being made available to the public through an archive dating back nearly 700-years.

Researching house history is second only to family history when it comes to topics about which staff at North Yorkshire’s County Record Office are asked.

To help all those curious to know more about their home – and perhaps to spark new interest – the County Record Office is staging an exhibition and launching an online guide that will show people the resources available locally to help them learn more about their home.

The exhibition is not about exploring the history of a specific house, but guiding people in their own search to learn about their own home.

It can be a complex study and which of the Record Office’s resources will be relevant depends on the age and location of the house.

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Margaret Boustead, head of archives and record management, said: “Everybody’s home is unique and each house will have its own story to tell.

“This exhibition is not about country houses or elite residences, it is about everyday homes and what people might be able to find out about them.”

The exhibition highlights resources people can use to discover the fascinating history of their home and the people that lived there in the past.

The Northern Echo: Clare Brown, record assistant at North Yorkshire County Record Office, with a 19th century plan of the estate of Reverend Whaley at Askrigg, showing houses in the townClare Brown, record assistant at North Yorkshire County Record Office, with a 19th century plan of the estate of Reverend Whaley at Askrigg, showing houses in the town (Image: NYCC)

Items from the archive spanning seven centuries, from the early 1300s to the 1970s, will be on display, including historic maps, architectural drawings, old photographs and property deeds.

This includes a series of maps charting 250-years in the development of the village of Alne, near Easingwold.

A map of Fingall, between Bedale and Leyburn, from 1627 includes the names of the inhabitants of every house, and a bird’s eye view of Richmond from 1724 depicts houses in the town.

A later map of 1773, which numbers each house, can be cross-referenced with numbers in an associated burgage book revealing who lived in each home.

The exhibition opened at the County Record Office in Malpas Road, Northallerton, on Tuesday (October 11) and will run until Tuesday, January 31, except between December 24 and January 2 inclusive.

It is open Tuesday to Friday from 9.30am to 4pm.

Admission is free and there is no need to book.

There will also be drop-in sessions on Monday, October 31, from 1.30pm to 4.30pm and Wednesday, November 9, from 4pm to 6pm when archivists will be available to answer questions.

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