Hall restoration boosted by preliminary lottery funding

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded 50,000 to the council owners of Sewerby Hall, near Bridlington to work up proposals for a major restoration scheme.

If successful, the Lottery could put nearly 1m toward the plans which include resorting the family apartments back to how they were in a series of images taken around 1900.

Furniture held at London's Victoria and Albert Museum would also be used to return the apartments to the elegance the gentry would have known.

Researchers have even tracked down the printmakers who made some of the original wallpaper.

The servants' wing – which housed the butler, lady's housemaid and two cooks, as well as other domestic staff – will also be restored, with the housekeeper's sitting room and kitchen.

The year 1900 was chosen because of the wealth of information in the images – probably taken for a Country Life article that was never published. At the time the family – about four people – were looked after by 11 staff who could work for up to 18-hour days, at a time preceding labour saving devices.

Curator Janice Smith said: "I firmly believe it will be great for the area and great for local people as well as visitors. The restoration campaign will make sense of it as a historical heritage site located where it is on a heritage coastline."

The Greame family owned Sewerby House for two centuries until it was sold in 1934 to Bridlington Corporation for 45,000. Sewerby House was then renamed Sewerby Hall and over the years the building, which is grade one listed, has become a successful attraction attracting about 180,000 visitors a year.

Council and other funders would make up the total project costs of 2.6m, but completion could take until 2013.