THESE dramatic pictures were taken by a 13-year boy as flames ripped through historic Allerton Castle.

Quick-thinking James Stourton captured the amazing shots as more than 100 firefighters tackled Saturday's inferno.

James, at home for the weekend from school in Oxford, began snapping away after he leapt from his bed and grabbed his mum's camera.

"It was quite exciting," said James, whose parents have historic links with the 80-bedroom mansion. They live in a nearby courtyard, and were alerted by a neighbour at 4am.

"I take pictures of animals and things because I have a camera with me when I go out. But I'd never seen anything like this."

Firefighters were today spending a third day at the castle, near Knaresborough, as investigations into the cause continue.

A major focus is whether the blaze was linked to a chimney fire two hours before the main fire ripped through the Grade I listed building's roof and first floor - destroying about a third of the home. Police said there are no suspicious circumstances.

The home's US owner, tycoon Gerald Rolph, has vowed to restore the home - one of the most important Gothic Revival buildings in the country - to its former glory.

James's mother, Nell, who lives near the castle, ancestral home of Lord Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton, said: "The worst bit was when the dining room went up.

"We could see the fire burn the stained glass, then they started cracking."

She said: "We didn't think they were going to stop it at one point. It looked like the whole place was going."

In a statement, Allerton Castle said despite damage to some rooms, it remained open for business with damage confined to private apartments, workshops and offices.

Areas affected included rooms used for weddings and corporate events, the state bedroom, dining room and, to a lesser extent, the conservatory. All other key rooms, including the 80ft-high great hall and staircase, are intact although they have smoke and minor water damage.

Meanwhile, stunned residents who lost everything in the fire spoke of their ordeal.

Italian Giacomo Ruffoni, who moved to Allerton from Milan three years ago with his wife and two daughters, said passports and possessions went up in flames.

The retired mechanical engineer, 60, said: "We rented an attic apartment from the trust that runs the castle.

"We spent a lot of time renovating it - our heart was here."

He said: "We've seen the work Dr Rolph has been doing. The house was flourishing."

About a dozen residents rented space in the castle, but many were too upset to comment.

During the 18th century, Allerton Castle was owned by Prince Frederick, the Duke of York, brother to King George IV. A nearby hill is believed to have inspired the nursery rhyme, The Grand Old Duke of York.

American owner vows to restore stately home

As the owner of Allerton Castle vows to restore it to its former glory, Evening Press reporter KATIE EMSLIE and photographer MIKE TIPPING are allowed access to its interior to see the damage for themselves

FROM opulent splendour to smouldering rubble - this was the sorry scene in the former dining room of one of the country's finest neo-Gothic stately homes.

Gerald Rolph, the American owner of Allerton Castle, near Knaresborough, has pledged to do "whatever it takes" to restore the Grade I listed building, regarded as one of the best wedding venues in Britain, to its former glory.

Wearing a hard hat to guard against any falling masonry, and rubbing his hands in the bitterly cold morning air, Dr Rolph yesterday took me inside the fire-ravaged building which he bought in 1983, and showed me the damage the flames and water had caused.

Picking our way across the relatively unscathed Great Hall, we peered into the fire-ravaged dining room, now open to the elements since the flames gutted all the rooms immediately above it.

"The dining room was one of the real jewels of this house, with absolutely magnificent hand-carved wooden family crests on two walls. Everything in there is gone, including the stained glass windows," said the Florida-based businessman, who was staying at the castle during his annual two-week visit to the property when the fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning.

"I only come over for a short time each year, to look over any ongoing restoration work and to discuss any business issues which need attention," he said.

"Our main restoration project this time had been the library ceiling, a third of which was completely destroyed in the fire."

As well as the dining room, the rooms on all three floors of that wing have been gutted.

Dr Rolph appealed to the local community for their support in the daunting task of restoring Allerton Castle. "We've spent the past 20 years restoring this place and people round here have been absolutely fantastic in giving us their support. We hope we can bring it back to its former magnificence, although sadly I doubt we will be able to recreate the wooden carvings in the dining room."

Updated: 10:11 Monday, January 24, 2005