CUSTODIANS of an important part of Richmond's history is how Mr Keith Schellenberg and his wife, Jilly, see their role following their purchase of one of the finest country houses in the area.

Although they plan to create a cosy family home at St Nicholas, on the outskirts of the town, they are only too aware that they are a mere chapter in the property's long and romantic history.

Founded in 1171 as a Benedictine hospital, it was dissolved by Queen Elizabeth I in 1585 and has been in private ownership ever since.

In 1813 it was bought by the Marquess of Zetland and restored by the eminent architect Ignatius Bonomi. Mid-19th and early 20th century additions heightened the property's slightly quirky and romantic atmosphere.

St Nicholas passed to the James family in the late 19th century and the Hon Robert James was responsible for laying out the gardens, which featured in Country Life in 1936. His wife, Lady Serena James, perhaps Richmond's best known and respected resident, who died last year, continued to open the 50-acre gardens to the public.

"The house has a lovely homely, cottagey feel, which perhaps dissuaded some prospective buyers who wanted something more grand and ostentatious," said Mr Schellenberg. "To me, it is the romance of the place, with the gardens running down to the river Swale and Easby, and the homely atmosphere that the James family created.

"It is amazing that, after all those hundreds of years, one has the chance to be custodian for a while."

The couple appreciate the mammoth task they have set themselves and plan to tackle it a bit at a time, starting with any structural work.

"With a house like this, you learn that it is wiser not to get a survey," said Mr Schellenberg. "I look forward to spending time with local experts who can tell me more about the history and help me restore the house. I am talking about restoration, not modernisation.

"People always want to modernise, which often means stripping all the character out of a place. Robert James had a love of candlelight and romance and gave the house a slightly mysterious feel and I would always want to reflect that in any restoration work."

While Mr and Mrs Schellenberg have very different ideas about decor, they have agreed to compromise. "I will let him keep the sitting room dark if he agrees to lighten up the dining room," she said.

The couple are gradually filling the house with their own furniture and household pieces, gathered over the decades from sales and antiques shops. A 100-year-old knife sharpener fits perfectly into the Victorian kitchen, and a mirror brought from Scotland matches the dining room fireplace so well that it looks like an original fitting.

"We are a terrible family for hoarding but it is amazing how well our items fit into this house," said Mr Schellenberg.

He has also reunited some of the James family's household items with St Nicholas after attending the sale of the house contents at Christie's in London.

"I felt a strong obligation to buy a painting of the house in the 18th century which came up at the sale and I also bought a pair of huge altar candlesticks about six feet tall," he said. "The London buyer pressure was staggering and there was quite tough competition."

But it was the house itself which yielded some of the quirkiest items, including a vast pre-war Frigidaire fridge, complete with wooden doors, and proudly bearing the retailer's address as 141 New Bond Street, London. "Most people would fling it out but it's here to stay," he said.

Two old porcelain flush toilets - one with the delightful model name "The Rush" - and a strange windowsill-mounted handbasin in what was the nursery are also destined to remain integral parts of the house.

But it is not only the interior which throws up interesting features. Incorporated into an outside wall is the stone tomb cover of a monk, probably from nearby Easby abbey.

Almost as big a task as tackling the house is keeping on top of the extensive garden, which for 16 years has been tended by Darlington landscape gardener Mr Philip Rocket, who spends six weeks a year trimming the topiary.

Mr Schellenberg is keen to retain such expertise and knowledge. "I know very little about flowers, although I love them dearly. I have always tried to conserve the environment and wildlife wherever I have been. I will have nothing to do with shooting and have been vegetarian for over 40 years."

His love of old objects extends to an array of vehicles and more unusual modes of transport, including three 1920s' bobsleighs and a host of old toboggans, which reflect his love of - and considerable prowess at - winter sports.

Mr Schellenberg and lifelong friend Mr Bruce Ropner were members of a Yorkshire bobsleigh team which contested the Swiss championships in the 50s.

"If we get snow this winter, we have ideas of having a little course down the slope towards the river," he said. "I used to come to the dales every winter as a youngster to ski in Teesdale and would stop at the Morritt Arms on the way back."

Mr Schellenberg also raced cars and motorbikes and was at Silverstone two weeks ago, racing a Bentley he first took there in 1954. He also still holds the record for a standing start on Saltburn sands.

"One thing I look forward to doing is being able to race one or two of my old cars because Silverstone is much easier to reach from Richmond than it was from the north of Scotland."

His collection of unusual vehicles also extends to a 1927 Albion, the shooting brake of the Duke of Devonshire, which he bought from the duke's family estate at Chatsworth, Derbyshire.

Chatsworth also yielded a 19th century steam, horse-drawn fire engine, complete with firefighting paraphernalia, which could form part of a display for visitors to the garden.

"I would like to think people could come and get pleasure and enjoyment from my collection," he said.

Among the first people to share his enjoyment of St Nicholas are his six children, and several grandchildren, who are due to visit this weekend.

"St Nicholas is first and foremost a family home and I am very conscious of the role that the James family played in Richmond and how lucky I am to share in this amazing place."