EXTRA pairs of hands have been brought into play to ensure a North Yorkshire historic hall is safely "put to bed" for the winter.

Volunteers are this week taking part in the seasonal clean-up and packing-up of contents at Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley, in the National Trust's first working holiday which allows enthusiasts to take part in this vital work.

The 12 volunteers from around the country are working alongside the conservation team at the hall on a wide range of tasks.

House steward Dawn Rawlinson said she was pleased that this was a first in the National Trust's working holidays programme, and that there would be some extra help this year.

"For the conservation staff, winter is our busiest time," she said.

During this week the volunteers at Nunnington Hall will help pack up its furniture and contents, also helping to clean and record them - learning some valuable conservation skills in the process. Perhaps the biggest single task will be to polish the grand staircase, which sweeps from the first floor to the old Oak House.

There are over 450 National Trust working holidays run across the country. The majority concentrate on groups of volunteers helping with outdoor conservation tasks.

Updated: 13:11 Tuesday, November 12, 2002