DOZENS of firefighters battled a blaze at a public school near York.

The flames spread to a small section of the refectory roof at the historic Queen Ethelburga's College, at Thorpe Underwood, near Green Hammerton, after breaking out in a cupboard area at 9.30pm.

Ten fire crews from across North Yorkshire battled for nearly four hours to bring it under control. The school's staff and pupils had gone home for the holidays and an automatic fire alarm alerted the fire service.

Jane Proud, station officer at York, said the use of their aerial ladder was crucial in containing the blaze, as access was hampered by the surrounding school buildings.

"Without the aerial ladder it would have been a different story," she said.

"We needed it to go over the top. If the fire had spread to the old building it would have been a different story."

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said crews were on the scene quickly and managed to contain the blaze to "a small section of the school property".

She said damage was limited to a paper archive store.

"Fire investigating officers are at the scene today," she said.

"The cause is unknown at this time."

The school site dates back to the earliest days of Christianity in England and during the 19th century, Anne and Branwell Bront lived and taught there for a time.

Following a disastrous fire in 1895, today's building, designed in the Tudor style, was constructed by William Anelay of York. The campus on the Thorpe Underwood Hall Estate extends to more than 100 acres of grounds and includes an enclosed, walled, secret garden, a formal rose garden with a fountain and acres of informal lawns.

Updated: 09:20 Tuesday, December 20, 2005