Dozens of firefighters battled to save a stately home near York which went up in flames today.

Firefighters battle to save historic Aldby Park from today's blaze which caused extensive damage.

Nearly 70 officers from across North and East Yorkshire were called to historic Aldby Park, at Buttercrambe, near Stamford Bridge, just after 5.30am.

The house, built in 1726, was extensively damaged by smoke and fire which burnt through every floor of the three-storey building.

Antiques, porcelain and art, believed to be of a high value, were being salvaged today after the flames were extinguished.

The alarm was raised by an occupant of the house at 5.30am.

Mark and Patsy Winn, who were sleeping inside their ancestral home, escaped unharmed.

Mark's son and owner of the building, George Winn-Darley, said today: "Clearly I am very upset. The house has been in the family since it was built and nothing like this has ever happened. The fire seems to have started on the ground floor and spread to the floor above.

"There is the usual furniture and art found in homes like this, but I am not prepared to disclose their value at the moment. We are waiting to get inside to assess the damage."

Firefighter Jim Dawes said it was remarkable that the damage was not greater.

He said: "The rooms in houses like this are 15 feet high and very draughty. There's a lot of air and once a fire gets started, it's very difficult to control it.

"Look at how many stately homes have been destroyed. I think the owner can count himself very lucky."

Fire crews pumped water from the nearby River Derwent after arriving at the blaze.

Freezing temperatures meant that the water froze quickly, making the whole area around the property slippery and difficult to work in.

Divisional officer Steve Couchman said: "At the moment we haven't got a clue what has caused this. An investigation has started."

Fire service spokesman Terry Glover estimated that the cost of the fire would be huge. Mr Winn-Darley said the house was insured.

The magnificent mansion of Aldby Park was built on the site of the moated Saxon Palace of King Edwin and Queen Ethelburga.

The house was commandeered at the outbreak of the Second World War and underwent great neglect, with pipes bursting and dry rot running riot. Twenty foot tall sycamores took over the lawn where the owners once played tennis.

Mark Winn brought the decay under control, and brought the 15-acre gardens, designed by Thomas Knowlton in 1746, back to life. In 1984, Mr Winn, a chartered surveyor, had a series of obstacles built in the park for the fast-growing sport of carriage-driving.

Aldby played its part in one of Britain's biggest historical events, with King Harold said to have rested at a Saxon castle in the grounds en route to his defeat at Hastings in 1066.

It has also had a role in the development of 20th century racing, bringing one of the first Arabian stallions to Britain and so helping to sire the line of English thoroughbreds racing today.

Aldby became the home to the Darley Arabian, the most successful sire of the trio, which was shipped to Britain in 1703 by Thomas Darley.

Traffic passing through Buttercrambe was unaffected by today's blaze, with mini-ramps used to carry traffic over firemen's hoses.

Ambulance crews were called as a precautionary measure but were not needed.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.