WORK on the restoration of the historic Church House at South Tawton is to start soon ? and the public will be able to see its progress. Heritage Lottery, the principle source of funding for the project, is arranging open days that will be subject to health and safety constraints. The work is expected to take between five and six months. The Church House was built in the 15th Century as an alehouse to generate funds for the upkeep of the nearby church and to act as a meeting place for the parish. Church House has been variously a school, a poor house for up to six families, an army billet and an arts and exhibition centre. The restoration work will allow the building to continue to serve as a meeting place for the community as well as being open to all every weekend from April to October from next year. The restoration will be carried out by Darrock and Brown from Bodmin, a highly regarded firm approved by both English Heritage and the Heritage and Lottery Fund. Darrock and Brown is currently working on projects in Exeter and Penzance and had undertaken jobs at Truro Cathedral and the Mill chimney in Okehampton among other heritage buildings. The overall cost of the Church House project, including research work, an interpretation budget, fees and VAT is estimated to be around £350,000. Representatives of the companies and organisations involved in research, funding or support services met at the site last week. Joining David Youle, the project manager for the Church House management committee, were Bill Gladwell and Arthur Britton from Darrock and Brown; architects Allen Van der Steen and Pip Morrison; Rebecca Child, English Heritage; Oliver Firkins, Franklin Andrews Ltd, the lead monitor for the Heritage Lottery Fund and Fred Major of Bare, Learning and Bare, quantity surveyors.