THE gardens of an historic country estate have been named as the winner of a prestigious national award to find the best horticultural spots in the country.

The grounds of Castle Howard, near Malton, in North Yorkshire, which include lakes, walled gardens and historic monuments, were recognised by the Historic Houses Association.

The awards, now in their 27th year, reward gardens with outstanding horticultural and public appeal, either in their own right or as the setting for an historic house.

The Castle Howard estate is best known to the public as the home of Lord Sebastian Flyte in the television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel, Brideshead Revisited.

Simon Howard, whose family have owned the estate for more than 300 years, said: "To say I am surprised that we have received this, would be an understatement.

"I have always thought that the grounds and gardens at Castle Howard, although wonderful, would never figure in people’s minds as the sort of garden that could win this accolade.

"All credit should go to all the gardeners here who tirelessly strive to achieve a high standard of presentation that is difficult at the best of times."

The gardening team at Castle Howard look after more than 1,000 acres of North Yorkshire landscape, led by head gardener Brian Deighton.

He said: "We are all thrilled to bits. It means so much to me and my team to be given this honour by real gardeners, people who know how much work goes into keeping it all going, year round."