THE blaze that ripped through Allerton Castle could have caused millions of pounds of damage.

Rescue crews were today assessing the damage after more than 80 firefighters battled through the night at the stately home, ten miles west of York.

Senior fire officers said the flames had been brought under control after up to 15 fire pumps arrived at the Grade I listed 18th century mansion. North Yorkshire deputy chief fire officer Nigel Hutchinson, speaking at the scene, said there was severe fire damage to the roof and upper floors of the mainly two-storey building.

He said: "Most of the structure, apart from a large section of the roof, appears to be intact. The walls look okay and there's no falling masonry. Most of the damage has occurred at the back of the building on the ground and first floor."

Inspector Steve Burns, of North Yorkshire Police, said ten guests had been evacuated from the property "safe and well" and no one had been injured. He said the blaze had caused "extensive damage".

Flames tore through the roof of the building as firefighters arrived just after 2am at what was initially thought to be a chimney fire.

Mr Hutchinson said some valuables had been saved from the wreckage, including an antique carpet that the owner specifically asked to be taken from the main hall.

A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said officers were using a lake within the grounds to supply water, because of a shortage of mains water in the remote location.

Allerton Castle is the ancestral home of Lord Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton, the premier baron of England. It has been rated as a Grade I listed building by English Heritage and is said to be the most important stately home in England built in the gothic revival style.

The 18th-century property was once owned by Prince Frederick Augustus, the Duke of York, brother of King George IV.

It was built on the site of a Benedictine Priory founded by Richard Mauleverer in the reign of Henry II. The present hall was begun in 1852.

According to local legend, the hill on which the Temple Of Victory stands, once known as Arbour Hill, inspired the nursery rhyme, The Grand Old Duke Of York.

The house was used by the Canadian Royal Air Force during the Second World War, and in 1965, after the death of the 22nd Baron Stourton, the family stopped living there.

In 1982 it was bought by American millionaire Dr Gerald Rolph. It is not known how much he paid to buy the property and almost seven acres from Edward Stourton, heir to the late Lord Mowbray.

Dr Rolph set about renovating the 80-bedroomed mansion and filling it with furniture and pictures that suited the vast interior of the Tudor-Gothic building. It remains preserved by the Gerald Arthur Rolph Foundation For Historic Preservation And Education, a registered charity, and is a popular venue for weddings, with four grand rooms licensed for civil ceremonies.

Dr Rolph today spoke of his distress over the shocking blaze. He said many rooms had survived, but the dining room was gutted. He described the fire as "a tragedy for English and world heritage".

"It was very distressing," he said. "But the fire service did a wonderful job. Now the job is to try and restore it to its former glory. It's going to be a difficult job."

He said spectacular stained glass windows had "completely gone" because of the heat and smoke, but the ballroom, main hall and billiard room appeared to have survived. He said there was a chimney fire earlier in the evening which was attended to by firefighters, but it appeared to have broken out again. It spread from the servants' wing to the main part of the house.

Mr Hutchinson confirmed that a fire crew had been called to the mansion earlier in the evening to tackle a chimney fire. He said officers were investigating if there was any link between that and the blaze.

Updated: 12:24 Saturday, January 22, 2005