ONE of the region's most famous attractions is celebrating a golden jubilee of its own - 50 years of opening to the public.

Castle Howard, the magnificent stately home near Malton, North Yorkshire, first opened its elegant doors to the paying public in the summer of 1952.

On its first day, 129 people passed through. Fifty years on ten times that number visit on a typical summer day and with 200,000 visitors a year, it is one of the most popular attractions in the county.

The great house, which achieved worldwide fame in the classic TV series Brideshead Revisited, was badly damaged by fire in 1940 and much of it remained a shell for many years.

But when the late George Howard - later to be chairman of the BBC - came back from the war, he and his wife, Lady Cecilia, set about restoring its fabric and spirit.

Now their son Simon has inherited their zeal for restoration and the conservation work continues.

"I hope that by the time Castle Howard celebrates its 75th anniversary of welcoming visitors, all the restoration that started in 1950 will be completed," he said yesterday.

"To me, that will be the culmination of a lifetime of steady, but persistent, endeavour."

It is estimated that the many restoration projects at the house have cost in the region of £20m since the fire, and were funded with money raised through visitor income and grants from English Heritage and the Countryside Commission.

More than 1,200 craftsmen, stonemasons, specialists and other skilled workers have been involved.

Mr Howard said the regeneration of the estate was vital not only for the importance of the buildings and the landscape, but also for the sake of all those who lived and worked there.

"We live in a rural economy that has had to face enormous challenges, declining incomes and loss of jobs in recent years," he said.

"I hope that the investment we are making now will also benefit the wider local community through the creation of more jobs and prosperity in the future."