Building pictures of West Bromwich's Manor House

Old photographs are helping specialist conservation architects restore a 13th century Black Country house.

Architects firm Anderson and Glenn has been employed to oversee the work to restore West Bromwich's Manor House and advise on repairs.

The set of 25 photographs date back to between 1956 and 1959 and are being used to help the experts carry out a timber-by-timber assessment of the building.

Museums boss Frank Caldwell said: "The photographs were taken by a Doctor E M Warner, who was a GP in the area, over the period of the 1950s restoration.

"He was at the Manor House looking after patients in the Stone Cross and Hall Green area so was familiar with the site. He moved away, but he and his daughter paid a return visit this summer and brought the photographs in for us. They are invaluable."

The photos show work carried out during the 1950s, including the discovery of a 17th century timber-framed building underneath the modern exterior.

Conservation architect Mary Anderson of Anderson and Glenn said: "We are basically looking at conservation plans for the council to give it a full understanding of the building as it is before any work is done.

"The photographs from the 1950s are absolutely fantastic - we have been using them to identify areas that people might have thought were part of the original building, but aren't."

Sandwell Council is applying for listed building consent from English Heritage for significant alterations to the Grade I-listed building.

Refurbishments to the building are set to total £500,000. The Manor House opened to the public for the first time on May 2, af-ter lying empty for more than a year when a pub and restaurant there closed down.

Since then around 4,500 people a day have been through the doors whenever it has opened to the public. Designs are now being drawn up to present to English Heritage showing how the restored building on Hall Green Road will look.

Once consent has been granted, demolition work to rip 1960s fixtures and fittings will be able to start. After the work's completion, the Manor House hopes to hold civil weddings.

The Manor House is open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the end of this month.