Restoration winners pick up funds

Work will soon begin on the Old Grammar School at Kings Norton

Work is to begin on the buildings which won the viewers' vote on BBC Two's Restoration programme.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £2.5m to restore the medieval Old Grammar School and the Saracen's Head in King's Norton, Birmingham.

The new award is added to a previous lottery grant of £50,000 and the programme prize of £506,000.

The funds enable the project team to undertake extensive repairs to both Grade II* listed buildings.

The Old Grammar School is largely unchanged since it was first built, possibly in the 17th century, but with many older elements.

Civil War

Restoration will return the building to its first use as a learning centre.

The Tudor-built Saracen's Head dates from 1492. It is often claimed that the wife of Charles I, Queen Henrietta Maria, stayed overnight during the English Civil War in 1643.

Today it houses parish offices and community rooms. Unsympathetic additions made over the years are likely to be demolished.

Both buildings are owned by King's Norton parish church, which has spearheaded the Restoration Project.

Canon Rob Morris, parish rector and project director said, "We're hugely encouraged by the news.

"The two years since we won Restoration have been filled with astonishing hard work, commitment, interest and research by so many people."