Restoration works at the Red House Glass Cone under way

Work began on the Grade II listed Wordsley building – which was built between 1788 and 1794 – in July, thanks to a £1.5 million investment from Dudley Council.

Neighbouring roads to the historic structure closed to traffic from October 26 to October 27, as a large crane equipped with 120 metres of steel platforms came on site.

The steel beams have formed a base which encircles the entirety of the cone, allowing a complete scaffolding structure to go up around the exterior.

Dudley Council has said that the specialist framework will allow technicians to re-point the Cone from top-to-bottom using authentic lime mortar.

Scaffolding has also been installed in the interior of the building, allowing for restoration works to begin inside.

Councillor Paul Bradley, cabinet member for communities and economic delivery, said: "The installation of this base went really smoothly and I’m grateful to residents for bearing with us when we had to close the road for the day.

"Fortunately the team worked quickly and we were able to re-open the site the following day.

"The base is an impressive structure and will allow our specialist contractors to continue with the rest of the intricate scaffolding installation to allow the actual restoration to begin."

The restoration works will also see vegetation sprouting from the Cone removed on a phased basis, as well as new drainage to be installed around the building and access to the tunnels created.

Improvements are also being made to the site's accessibility, with the internal gantry and lift having already been removed to create a more open space.

A new lift is expected to be put in place by the visitor centre to allow wheelchair access to the upper level where a viewing window will allow visitors to see the Cone.

Due to the history of the building, Dudley Council has worked with an Accredited Historic Architect and Historic England to secure the appropriate permission to begin the sensitive works.