THE Devon Rural Archive is offering another opportunity for anyone wanting to find out more about the history of their home the chance to become a 'House Detective' for a day.

The special day of talks and case studies on Tuesday March 27 kicks off with a lecture entitled 'How to read your house' by Dr Theresa Oakley, consultant archaeologist for the DRA, who will discuss how examining structural features reveals the history of a home.

Dr Oakley had a PhD in archaeology and has worked as a volunteer for the Cornwall Archaeology Unit and Exeter Cathedral as well as doing freelance work specialising in archaeological research.

This will be followed by two case studies by Dr Susan Andrew and landscape architect Andrew Rathbone, who have both used the DRA to help research their own homes.

Dr Andrew will talk on 'Exploring the history of a West Devon church house', while Mr Rathbone's case study is entitled 'A South Devon town house under investigation'.

In the afternoon Plymouth city archivist Louisa Mann, who is based at Plymouth and West Devon Record Office, will guide visitors through some of the documentary sources available for research in her talk 'Delving into the Archives'.

Guests will also have the chance to explore the DRA archives themselves and discuss their own projects with speakers.

Abi Gray, consultant archaeologist at the DRA, said: 'The feedback from our first house detectives day in November was very positive with so many people finding it useful and informative that we decided to run another in the spring.

'One lady said that it had set her off on a compulsive detective trail and that she had been glued to every online reference or archive since. I hope this spring session will be equally inspiring for those who have ever wondered about the history of their home.'

The day, at the DRA headquarters in Shilstone, near Modbury, runs from 10am to 3.30pm and costs £25 per person to include a buffet lunch and refreshments. Booking is essential and payment must be made by March 20. Places will be given on a first come first served basis.

To book e-mail [email protected]">[email protected] or call 01548 830832. For more information visit http://www.devonruralarchive.com">www.devonruralarchive.com