Workmen's intriguing finds in Halifax Piece Hall renovation

Eleven empty Fairbank corned beef tins were neatly stacked together and left in the Piece Hall "possibly for more than a century"

Old photos, oyster shells and a World War Two booklet have been found by workmen renovating a Grade I listed building in West Yorkshire.

The Piece Hall in Halifax opened in 1779 as a trading centre for locally-woven cloth.

Calderdale Council leader Tim Swift said the "fascinating finds" hinted at life in the Piece Hall over the past 230 years.

It is undergoing a £19m refurbishment scheme and is due to re-open in Spring.

Workmen from Graham Construction found a War Office manual for army recruits - Notes for Instructors on the Principles of Instruction - dated 30 June 1939

Three photographs were found behind skirting boards of one of the former shops.

One shows a young boy holding what may be a catapult, standing next to a young girl in a hat. Two other Victorian studio portraits are of smartly-dressed gentlemen.

Calderdale Council said one was a tintype photograph, widely used in the 1860s and 70s.

Two of the photographs found behind skirting boards show smartly-dressed men and are thought to date back to the Victorian era

An un-lidded wooden box was found labelled with Emsley & Collins Ltd, possibly a local company, and a pile of oyster shells was found in the cellar.

Mr Swift said: "The fascinating items provide a tantalising view of a forgotten world. It would be great to know the stories behind them but unfortunately we know very little.

"The artefacts have little historic value but they provide a hint at what daily life may have been like in the Piece Hall during the past 230 years."

Councillor Tim Swift said: "We don't even know if the people in the photographs are from Halifax or had any connection with the Piece Hall."

In the 1970s, the 18th century hall became a tourist attraction with an art galley, museum and shops.

It closed in January 2014 for a two-year renovation and to add an extension and new visitors centre.

The £19m project is funded by Calderdale Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation.

Halifax Piece Hall is due to open in Spring 2016 with a redesigned courtyard