HISTORIC files detailing the battle to create a national park in the Yorkshire Dales will be made available to the public.

The hundreds of documents, which include the paper designating the 680 sq mile area as a national park in 1953, include correspondence between Whitehall and councils over what responsibilities the national park should have, what area it should cover and how it should function.

The papers have been handed over to the North Yorkshire County Record Office, in Northallerton, for archiving after being kept in storage at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s offices in Bainbridge, near Hawes.

The national park authority’s chief executive David Butterworth said: “These archives are a priceless record of how an area of the countryside was identified as being special and how an incredible amount of work was put into ensuring it was protected and enhanced for future generations.

“And it is appropriate these documents should be highlighted now as preparations are being made for a public inquiry to decide on a Natural England proposal to expand the boundaries of the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District national parks.”