A MEDIEVAL castle, which has seen an alarming fall in tourist numbers over the past decade, is to get a visitor centre.

The 12th Century Helmsley Castle, a Grade I-listed building, is considered by English Heritage to be massively under-used as a tourism resource.

In an effort to arrest the decline, plans have been submitted to the North York Moors national park authority, seeking approval for an entrance building and visitor centre to be created.

The proposed development is the first phase of English Heritage's Helmsley Castle Project, which will also involve improvements to other parts of the site and a new exhibition area within the Tudor Mansion.

National park planners are expected to approve the scheme when they meet tomorrow