THE Walter Scott Charity School in Old Gloucester Road will be a familiar sight to many people in Ross. Over the last few years it has sadly fallen into disrepair.

However, local business man, Roy Peers-Smith, has now completely restored the Grade II* building to all of its former glory, prompting Herefordshire Council's Conservation Department to say it was: "a good outcome for an important listed building."

Over the years, Roy, who lives locally, has often driven through Ross and observed, that while it was an excellent base with good communications and road links, 'the town could do with a bit of a boost.'

Eventually, he literally put his money where his mouth is and purchased the building and so began several months of effort and tender care in bringing the building back to life. He told the Ross Gazette: "I wanted to be brave. I have worked in industrial-style buildings for many years and so was excited about working in an older-style building, customised to accommodate a modern and creative business."

The building, with its distinct Georgian exterior, has been brought firmly into the 21st Century with a beautiful, sleek and modern interior: all clean lines, lots of light, glass and muted colours.

It has been a monumental feat of restoration, which Roy acknowledges is largely down to the vision and perseverance of his project manager, Robin Kyte-Coles. The sight that first greeted him on entering the school were bare walls, peeling plaster, water coming in, holes in the roof, the basement piled up to the ceiling with over 1,500 tons of rubble - and that was just for starters.

Also, the building was on the Building at Risk Register, which brings its own set of complications and worries. Of the whole building, the original fireplaces have been retained and the staircase, damaged in a previous fire, has been restored to exactly how it was. The original tiles in the basement were painstakingly taken up, scrubbed and replaced in their previous setting.

Property development isn't new to Robin - he has overseen many properties over the years. The Walter Scott building, however, represented a new challenge, balancing the demands of listed building status with health and safety concerns.

He remained clear that the project should be sympathetic to the 17th Century building without compromising the needs of a modern business. He told The Gazette: "The whole project was challenging, satisfying, and very personal."

Local economic regeneration was a welcome offshoot of the restoration and from the beginning the ethos has been to invest in the local economy. Therefore, wherever possible, local tradesman, craftsman, businesses and materials have been used.

Interesting finds during the work included a beautifully hand-written book from around 1700 and two dinky toys from the 1960's. A safe in the basement of the building, installed when the building was used by a local auctioneers, required the services of an expert lockpicker when it was discovered the key had been lost! Over four weekends he laboured over the lock, eventually opening it only to discover it was empty.

And finally, in a strange example of synchronicity, Roy has discovered his home in London where he was brought up was a mere stone's throw from Walter Scott's London base.

Marsha O'Mahony