A Keighley company has helped make life easier for disabled people wanting to visit a stately home.

Dolphin Stairlifts (North Yorkshire) installed a wheelchair lift on the grand staircase at Castle Howard near York.

The Vimec V6 incline wheelchair lift replaced a domestic stairlift, which was of little use to wheelchair users.

The machine, which was specially designed for stairways where space is of prime importance, was installed in just two-and-a-half days.

Dolphin Stairlifts also provided training to each of Castle Howard's 40 guides to ensure that they could easily operate the lift when required.

John Petty, director at Dolphin Stairlifts (North Yorkshire), said: "The wheelchair lift has to travel approximately ten metres along the grand staircase, which is the first sight for visitors arriving inside the house.

"In such an historic and splendid venue, it was important to ensure the installation was as discreet as possible so it did not detract from the grandeur of the staircase or unduly interfere with the historic fabric."

Kathryn Maynard, operations manager at Castle Howard, added: "The wheelchair lift is in continuous use and has performed consistently well.

"We believe that when we receive enquiries about our disabled facilities, the fact that we have a wheelchair lift has had a marked effect on the caller's decision to visit Castle Howard."

Built in 1699, Castle Howard is, still the private home of the Howard family.

After a devastating fire in 1940, the house lay empty until the late George Howard returned from the war and decided to start renovating the house so that it could be lived in again.

His son Simon Howard continues the work of restoration today and has developed Castle Howard into a major tourist destination, which attracts around 200,000 visitors annually from across the globe.

Dolphin Stairlifts (North Yorkshire) is one of the 26 nation-wide branches of Dolphin Stairlifts Ltd.