A scheme to revolutionise access to information about the heritage of the Yorkshire Dales has moved a step nearer to fruition.

Last year, the National Park Authority won a £90,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for its wide-ranging Out of Oblivion project.

Now, Dr Karen Griffiths has been seconded from her role as the authority's interpretation officer to lead the project for the next two years.

The project will be at the cutting edge of archaeological interpretation, and will provide full public access to the area's Sites and Monument Record (SMR), the most comprehensive record of the historic environment of the park.

When complete, people will be able to access information at the touch of a button, via the Internet, through new workstations at the National Park Centres or by using a portable computer that will be available throughout the area.

Dr Griffiths said she and her team would be working to make information on the park's heritage available in an interesting and useful way.

"We will be bringing the information out of oblivion," she said.

"One of my main tasks will be to develop a new website, which will recreate the past in images, sounds, words and animation. There will be walks, places to visit, as well as the latest archaeological research on the park.

"I will also be involved in telling the public about the project and by so doing bringing people, schools and history groups together to learn about our shared history."

The authority's SMR contains more than 25,000 records supported by historic maps, aerial and ground photographs, details of field surveys and reports of excavation projects.

The SMR includes information about sites ranging from prehistoric caves to structures built in the Cold War. It also holds information on historic buildings and features of the landscape, such as sheepfolds and dry stone walls.