NORTH YORKSHIRE farmers, whose land could hold a wealth of history, now have a champion.

Linda Smith has been appointed to the new post of county rural archaeologist - the first such post in Britain - based in the heritage department at County Hall, Northallerton, where she has been part of the team for 13 years.

An archaeologist for 25 years, she has worked in all parts of Britain, including the Hebrides and Orkneys.

North Yorkshire County Council's countryside department has set up the rural heritage service to help farmers and landowners.

"North Yorkshire has a rich heritage covering thousands of years of human activity," said Ms Smith. "This is to be seen in patterns of hedgerows, dry-stone walls and lanes, earthworks in pastures, as well as our great abbeys and castles, and the patterns in growing crops and ploughing fields. "

The new service, set up following a review of NYCC's countryside unit, can provide information and advice and help to allay fears.

"Landowners and tenants may be unaware of historic sites on their land or unsure of what to do with a site once it is identified," said Ms Smith. "There is often a worry that normal farming operations may be prohibited or that archaeologists will want to excavate their land.

"We are able to provide positive management of the historic environment for the benefit of education, tourism and future generations, help with grant schemes and management of sites."

The many benefits can provide better value for money through such things as extensive pasture management to enhance archaeological earthworks and floral diversity.

Ms Smith, who has a degree in pre-history archaeology, has built up a vast knowledge and database of North Yorkshire's archaeology, working as a records assistant, which has proved valuable in dealing with planning applications.

With the whole structure of farming changing and the introduction of the new Defra environmental stewardship schemes, the historical environment of farmland will play a key part in the countryside scene.

Ms Smith will cover a large area, from the Tees to Doncaster, but excluding the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. "My job is not about excavation, but about management," she said.

"My new job has come at a very exciting time, coinciding as it does with the new era in farming," she said. "I am looking forward to working with partnership organisations as well as our farmers.