Historic buildings to be restored

The houses were built in the 19th Century

A part of Birmingham's history is to be preserved thanks to a grant of almost £1m.

The money, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be spent on returning four 'back-to-back' houses in the Hurst Street area to their original state.

The Birmingham Conservation Trust will restore the buildings to display different eras of history between 1840 and 1977.

The houses were built in the 19th Century for use by the city's expanding workforce.

New jobs

The project is expected to create new jobs and help regenerate the area around Hurst Street.

The first stage of the restoration work is scheduled to be completed at the end of next year.

The buildings will then be handed over to the National Trust who will open them to the public in 2004.