WHITCHURCH writer and historian Helen Harris has been selected for a Devon History Society Book of the Year Award.

At the recent annual meeting of the Devon History Society held in Exeter, Mrs Harris was picked for the award in the county-wide work section with her excellent 'Devon's Century of Change' (Peninsula Press).

'I was surprised and delighted,' said Mrs Harris.

'I got a very nice certificate and the satisfaction of one's work having been recognised for the standard that the panel was looking for.'

Mrs Harris, who is chairman of the Tavistock Branch of the Devonshire Association, is best known for her highly regarded book 'Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor'.

For local history, the award went to G M Chapman for his 'A History of Axminster to 1910' (Marwood Publications). Mary Beacock and Christopher Dracott won the prize for a special topic with 'John Gaves Simcoe 1752-1806: a Biography' Dundum Press.

The award has been established by the Devon History Society to encourage excellence in local studies publishing and to support well researched studies in this field.

This year the committee had great difficulty selecting from the many titles that have been published.