The North Yorkshire County Council archaeology service, established to protect the area's rich heritage, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The first county archaeologist was appointed in 1975 to carry out a survey of the area and recommend sites that should be preserved or excavated before development.

Since its creation, the service has made important contributions to the conservation of North Yorkshire, including ma-jor excavation projects, establishing a record of sites and monuments, and surveying the county's market towns to identify and protect sensitive areas.

It also provides information to schools, advises landowners and tenants on how to protect archaeological sites and monitors all planning applications within the county