GREEN-fingered shoppers have ignored the bad weather and flocked to a North Yorkshire stately home.

The Castle Howard Plant Centre, which was launched earlier this month, has seen customers spend more time browsing the shelves, whatever the weather. The new £400,000 centre's covered sales area has seen plant centre sales increase from this time last year.

John Foxton, plant centre manager, said: "Before the new plant centre opened we had very limited covered space and this awful weather would have kept the customers away.

"Now with the extended shop and covered sales area people are spending more time with us and enjoying the experience despite the wind and rain."

All the profits from the plant centre are being used to restore Castle Howard for future generations.

Updated: 11:30 Friday, March 26, 2004