The TV version of the book brought North Yorkshire's Castle Howard widespread fame, and now a film crew is shooting a big screen version. But will the New Brideshead Revisited bring in the visitors like the last? Women's Editor Sarah Foster asks the master of the house.

THERE is a film crew lurking somewhere in the grounds of Castle Howard, but not the one you might expect. They've come to shoot a gardening programme - there's ample scope for such a thing within the acres of green space - and if they're taking up much room, there isn't evidence of this. However, what's on show today could be the calm before the storm. When Brideshead rolls into the castle, there will no doubt be disarray.

It's 26 years since this same venue was first chosen to be Brideshead. Then it was featured on TV, in an 11-part adaptation of the book by Evelyn Waugh, and now it's destined for the cinema in a full-length feature film. The movie certainly sounds impressive - it has a cast of big names, with Emma Thompson in the role of Lady Marchmain and Michael Gambon playing opposite as the wealthy Lord. Its adaptors, Andrew Davies and Jeremy Brock, who've worked on Bridget Jones's Diary and Bleak House, are no doubt hoping it will match their other projects' huge success.

But can it really measure up to the original hit series? He may have signed up to take part, but Simon Howard has his doubts. "I don't think we'll reap the rewards in the same way as we did with the TV production," admits the master of the castle, who's 51. "One, it doesn't last as long in that it's not in the public eye for so long, and, two, the TV production was so iconic. However, if the movie is a great success then who knows?"

And Castle Howard, just outside Malton, in North Yorkshire, did benefit more from the production than could ever have been guessed. As Mr Howard makes quite clear, it thrust the stunning stately home onto the international stage. "Our numbers went from 170,000 one year to 235,000 the following year and it's true to say that our infrastructure - our loos, our catering, our cleaning - really couldn't cope with that number," he recalls. "We were subsequently able to invest in new loos, better catering arrangements and better working practices from the point of view of cleaning and running the house and the opening operation. Of course, what it did was put Castle Howard on the map internationally to people who had probably never heard of it before.

"Since then, it's been shown every year in one country or another throughout the world, as well as being on satellite, so of course it's been a very successful thing from our point of view."

The late George Howard (Simon's father) was still the master of the castle when the TV programme was made, but due to heavy work demands - he was the BBC's chairman at the time - he missed a large part of the filming. In his absence it fell to Simon to co-ordinate the shoot.

"I was here supervising over the majority of the period," he says. "It was a time when we weren't open to the public in the winter in the same way that we are now, so it was rather a different game from what we are dealing with for this production because it's the height of summer opening, so time-wise, it's not the best."

When Brideshead first came to Castle Howard, it brought another batch of stars, yet Mr Howard wasn't fazed - he knew the main ones through his dad. "Jeremy Irons was already a friend of the family and so he stayed whenever filming was going on," he says of the actor, who played Charles Ryder. "My father knew Claire Bloom, Olivier and Gielgud, and it was a good atmosphere throughout."

It was not new for the house to be featured on screen. It has appeared in several films, and so was used to the commotion, but Mr Howard does concede that Brideshead seemed a major project. "In the 60s there was a film called The Spy With A Cold Nose and they used the centre section of the house as the Kremlin. Then, again in the 60s, was Lady L with people like Sophia Loren, David Niven, Paul Newman and Peter Ustinov in it. But Brideshead was the first major production we'd had."

A clear inducement to take part was bringing in some extra cash to help towards the running of the house. "If you own a property like this you have to look at ways of earning income that doesn't take away from the integrity of what you're trying to do," Mr Howard says. "With a production like the latest Brideshead there is an immediate income, yes, but what you're taking a gamble on is its success at the box office and subsequently, the exposure that you'll get from DVDs, being shown on Sky or whatever it might be."

If he perceives it as a gamble, it's one he must be keen to take. He says at first he wasn't. "When it was first mooted that a film was going to be made of Brideshead Revisited I was somewhat sceptical, knowing about the success of the original series, and I initially didn't think that filming here was a good idea," Mr Howard admits. "However, the overriding point was that everyone knows Castle Howard as Brideshead and to have another house would rather detract."

Yet, when it comes to being on set, he says he'll leave that to the experts. He has been asked to play a cameo but is doubtful he'll accept. "I'd rather make sure the whole thing runs smoothly than put on a costume and run around," he says.

Castle Howard opening hours may be subject to change during June and early July. For up-to-date information, visit www.castlehoward.co.uk

Brideshead Revisited is due for general release next year.