AFTER more than three decades of caring for some of the region's most-loved historic treasures, June Haynes is moving on.

At the age of 64, she has retired from English Heritage after becoming one of the organisation's longest-serving custodians in the North Yorkshire area.

Yesterday, she handed over the keys to 900-year-old Richmond Castle to her successor, Nick Woodward, 41, before embarking on her retirement with husband Harvey.

Over the past 34 years, June has greeted tourists from across the globe to sites including Mount Grace Priory, near Northallerton, Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley and, since 1990, Richmond Castle.

"I've very mixed feeling about retirement," she said. "I'm, looking forward to doing more fell-walking, but it's been a huge privilege working at some wonderful sites and meeting so many people."

She began work for the former Ministry of Works in 1968, sharing custodial duties with her husband at Mount Grace Priory.