Bridlington's Sewerby Hall £2.6m restoration begins

The first phase of the restoration work is due to be completed by summer next year

Work to restore an historic stately home in East Yorkshire has begun.

The £2.6m restoration will return the interior of Grade I listed Sewerby Hall in Bridlington to the way it looked in 1900.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council was awarded a £949,900 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in May, and said the remaining £1.6m would be paid for out of its capital programme.

Sewerby Hall attracts about 150,000 paying visitors each year.

It was originally built between 1714 and 1720 by John Greame and a number of alterations were made in subsequent years.

Parts of the building were restored in 2001 to include Regency and Victorian features.

Leader of the council, Stephen Parnaby, said: "Sewerby Hall and Gardens is an important and popular cultural attraction for both residents and visitors.

"We intend to make Sewerby a fascinating, stimulating and informative day out."

The first phase of the restoration is expected to be completed by summer 2013.