A NEW online shop is making hundreds of historic maps, photographs, postcards and publications available to North Yorkshire family history-hunters.

The website has been set up by North Yorkshire County Council following the rising popularity of local and family history, due to TV shows such as Who Do You Think You Are and Restoration Man, and e-shop customers will be able to buy research packages to help them investigate their family tree, their community and the history of their house.

They allow residents to buy a specified amount of research time by archive staff, with the North Yorkshire County Record Office having documents dating back more than 800 years.

Coun Chris Metcalfe, executive member for the archive service, said: “This is a great way to own a piece of North Yorkshire’s history. By launching this site, we’re bringing family and local history to thousands more people. It’s a really exciting project, making our amazing collections and specialist services much more accessible to everybody, wherever they are in the world.”

The website is at archiveshop.northyorks.gov.uk and the record office now has a twitter account at @nyccarchives