Penelope Keith hosts To The Manor Reborn at Avebury

Penelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in a To the Manor Born anniversary special

A manor house in Wiltshire is to be completely restored for a new BBC One series presented by Penelope Keith.

The four hour-long episodes will see the National Trust property Avebury Manor refurbished by a team of historians, experts, and volunteers.

Keith, who played snobbish aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in the sitcom To The Manor Born, will be joined by Flog It! presenter Paul Martin.

To the Manor Reborn will be broadcast later in the year.

The series will follow the refurbishment of the 500-year-old property in Avebury as it is brought back to life.

Teams of craftsmen, furniture makers and interior design experts will restore the interior of the Grade I listed house to reflect its long history.

'Push the boundaries'

BBC One controller Danny Cohen said: "Our partnership with the National Trust on this ambitious project encapsulates so many of the BBC's ambitions.

"The channel aims to keep engaging audiences in new ways and this series offers them the chance to follow the story on screen, and to experience it first hand."

Sarah Staniforth, the museums and collections director for the National Trust, said: "It is not only a unique opportunity to engage viewers in the history of interior design and architecture but is also a way for the trust to push the boundaries in bringing properties to life."

Among the guests on To The Manor Reborn will be architectural expert Dan Cruickshank and gardener David Howard.

Avebury Manor will be closed for much of the year while the series is being filmed. It will be reopened as an "immersive experience" in the autumn.