It’s just five days until Christmas. Time to stop worrying whether gran is going to complain about how tough the turkey is, if your teenage offspring manage anything more than a grunt at the Christmas table, and whether your Christmas decorations are completely over the top.

If you think you’ve got problems, imagine how you would set about decorating even a modest portion of a stately home for the festive season?

I wouldn’t know where to start if my home had nine chimneys that had to be cleaned before the fires were lit at Christmas; my main tree was 18ft tall; and I had to hang more than 8,000 baubles and light 1,500 candles!

Well, until the end of tomorrow you can answer that question for yourself if you head for Castle Howard, between York and Malton. Sparkling with baubles and shining with candlelight, it’s a unique opportunity to peek behind the doors at the Howard family’s Christmas.

Unlike some stately homes, this really is a family home, and each year the Hon Simon and Mrs Howard decorate it personally with traditional family decorations and new ideas. However, to be honest, I think this is probably more of a managerial role than running up and down stepladders.

Last year 2,000 visitors oohed and aahed at the decorations, visited Father Christmas in his grotto, enjoyed the variety of music on offer and searched for figgy pudding among the decorations.

In the Great Hall there’s the 18ft-high tree, grown on the estate, while the one in the Long Gallery reaches high up into the Octagon.

One rather unusual Howard family tradition are the decorated ‘twigs’ you’ll find all over the house, which are actually huge branches hung from the ceiling and decorated with baubles – very effective.

This year, the High South rooms are open with the exhibition Brideshead Restored. Here, the once-ruined rooms were used as sets in the film Brideshead Revisited, but are now home to an exhibition on the recent film, from where you can look down upon the beautiful Great Hall and its gigantic Christmas tree.

Castle Howard’s opulent Fabergé collection will be on display in the Cabinet Room, a chance to get up close and personal with the gold and silver-mounted objects and minutely-carved animals and bird by Carl Faberge, goldsmith and jeweller to the Imperial Court of Russia. Wherever you go in the house, you will be accompanied by music, from handbell ringers playing carols, to pianists in the Long Gallery and flutes in the Garden Hall.

If your children are on the ‘nice’ list, take them to see Father Christmas, who will be in his grotto.

You’re sure to take away plenty of inspiration for your own home. It might be too late for this year, but there’s a gift shop which stocks many of the baubles used to decorate the trees, so you can capture a little of that Castle Howard magic for yourself.

There is also a plant centre with home-grown Christmas trees. Centre manager John Foxton makes traditional holly wreaths by hand with greenery from the gardens, and if you are lucky enough to have an open fire, you can pick up logs from the woods.

From homeware, toiletries and stationery to fun stocking fillers and handmade chocs, you’ll need to keep your hand firmly on your purse or wallet in the gift shop, which is stuffed full of items to covet, while the award-winning farm shop is the perfect place to pick some festive treats, from seafood to fruit and veg which is all locally sourced.

From the moment you drive up and see Castle Howard presiding over the landscape, you realise it has a complete air of belonging. The grounds, which extend to 1,000 acres, are the perfect backdrop to the house, and you coul also feed the peacocks that roam around.

Daily tours explore the hidden secrets, from the 1940s fire that left the Dome in tatters and 20 rooms in ruin, to why a playwright was chosen to build the house.

The staff add to the personality of this great house with a friendly smile or interesting tale to tell, and many have been there for years. The warmth, charm and spirit that is Castle Howard make it a well-deserved Yorkshire icon.

Factfile

Castle Howard is located 15 miles north-east of York, just off the A64 in the direction of Malton and Scarborough. Follow the A64 east to York. Continue past York and eventually you will pick up the brown signs for Castle Howard.

The house is open daily from 11am to 4pm. The gardens and adventure playground open daily all year, except Christmas Day,10am until 6.30pm (dusk in winter).

Stable Courtyard shops open daily all year, except Christmas and New Year holidays from10am to 5pm, admission free.

Entry to house and gardens is £10.50 adults; £9.50 concessions; £6.50 age four to 16; £27.50 family of four. Entry to the gardens only is £8 adults; £7.50 concessions; £5.50 age four to 14; £20 family of four.