A NORTH Yorkshire tourist attraction is hoping to pull in a worldwide audience thanks to its ever-improving website.

Helmsley Walled Garden's internet site is featured as the site of the month in the March issue of Gardeners' World magazine - and staff at the attraction have already had an increase in visitor enquiries.

Head gardener Paul Radcliffe said: "The website has been up and at it now for four years, developing each year.

"We have been on three television programmes recently, purely as a result of having the website, because people put in a search and find us.

"It makes people more aware of the garden, and the more people who can hear our name, the more they will visit us when they are in the area."

The magazine praises the site's picture gallery, which shows the gradual stages of restoration since Helmsley Walled Garden opened eight years ago.

Paul added: "Our website is designed and maintained by volunteer Dominic Fox, who used to live in Ampleforth."

"Now he's in London, but fortunately in these days of e-commerce, distance is no problem.

"Last year, we had 38,000 visitors to the garden itself, and being in Gardeners' World magazine all means a gradual increase in visitor numbers."

To take a look at the website yourself, log onto www.helmsleywalledgarden.co.uk.

Updated: 10:07 Wednesday, February 26, 2003