BBC show saves medieval school

The Old Grammar School's timber structure has fallen into decay

Viewers of BBC Two's Restoration programme have voted to save 15th Century school buildings in Birmingham.

The Old Grammar School and Saracen's Head, in Kings Norton, has its future secured with more than £3m raised during the series.

Griff Rhys Jones announced the winner, from a shortlist of eight crumbling architectural gems, in a live broadcast from Hampton Court Palace on Sunday.

More than 750,000 votes were cast in a public phone poll.

Finalists Knockando Wool Mill - Scotland Archbishop's Palace - South East Workingmen's Institute and Memorial Hall - Wales Sherborne House - South West Gayle Mill - North Playhouse Arts Centre - Northern Ireland Old Grammar School and Saracen's Head - Midlands Bawdsey Radar Station - East

The Workingmen's Institute and Memorial Hall, in Newbridge, Wales, came second in the poll.

Third was Gayle Mill, near Hawes, North Yorkshire.

Restoration 2004 had originally considered around 20,000 sites.

The Old Grammar School will now be restored and reopened as an educational site, offering local history and a look at how education was taught hundreds of years ago.

The nearby Saracen's Head will be restored as a community site.

'At risk'

The school was built between 1434 and 1460. Its timber-framed structure has fallen into decay, landing the building on English Heritage's "at risk" register.

The structurally-intact Saracen's Head is thought to have been the largest house of the Royal Manor during the 15th century.

It was here that the wife of Charles I, Queen Henrietta Maria, stayed on her way back from Yorkshire where she had gathered troops for the English Civil War.

It is currently being used as offices by Kings Norton Parish, which owns both sites but lacks the funds to restore them.

Sunday's live final featured reviews of all eight shortlisted buildings.

Rhys Jones and co-presenter Natasha Kaplinsky talked to campaigners fighting to save their buildings, along with "ruin detectives" Marianne Suhr and Ptolemy Dean.

Manchester's Victoria Baths was the first Restoration winner last year.

Since then, a Restoration Project Team has been appointed and structural work on the front block and restoration of the Turkish Baths is planned for October 2005.