See Behind The Scenes At The Beverley Treasure House

Do you want to know how to fight an 18th Century duel, see how Beverley looked 200 years ago or look into the faces of Victorian criminals? Then come along to the Treasure House Open Day on Saturday, 14 September, 9am-4pm.

This free event is running as part of the national Heritage Open Days, celebrating England’s fantastic culture and architecture with special access to buildings and activities. Members of the public will be able to go behind the scenes of the East Riding Archives and delve into hundreds of local archives and heritage documents.

The theme for this year’s event is desert island documents. All the archives staff have chosen their favourite documents and archives from the thousands held at the Treasure House. Treasures from the collections will be on display – archives and books which are beautiful works of art, historically significant, funny, fascinating and downright odd. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite documents from the history of the East Riding.

If the recent series of Who Do You Think You Are? has got you inspired to trace your family history, then the archives staff will be available to help you get started. There will also be children’s activities and the chance to try your hand at writing with a quill pen.

Visitors will also have a rare opportunity to take a guided tour of the archives, experiencing the specially-controlled environment not normally open to the public. Demonstrations in the conservation workshop will show how books and documents are repaired.

Ian Mason, archives and local studies manager, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to visit and see for themselves the amazing range of history we hold in the Treasure House.”