AN historic 16th century manor house in Cleobury Mortimer has seen a remarkable transformation in its fortunes since it was taken over by the current owners, Eric and Elisabeth Ratcliff in 1952.

Corrugated iron covered one face of the timber frame, only three of the bedrooms were habitable and it was impossible to move through one end of the house to the other. Eric and Elisabeth Ratcliff outside Detton Hall, Cleobury.

Restoring Detton Hall - or should that be in-debt hall? - has taken more than 10 years and a six figure sum, only £42,000 of which was funded through a grant from English Heritage, with craf- tsmen from the area working every day at the site for years at a stretch.

Around 10 years ago, the ceiling collapsed in one upstairs room, a symptom of the then general state of the house, observes retired farmer Mr Ratcliff. When more than 20 different roofs were taken up, damp was found to be rampant, as was insect infestation, including death-watch beetle. In all, 1,500 cubic feet of oak had to be replaced and massive Tudor star-shaped chimneys, which were on the verge of collapsing, renovated. Sixteenth century Detton Hall, Cleobury.

Ten years and much work later, the house has been preserved for "another few hundred years," and the good news for those interested in historic houses is that Detton Hall is open to visiting groups, by appointment only, thanks to the help given by English Heritage.

The site is first recorded in the Domesday Book when Dodingtone, as it was then known, was held by Rainald the Sheriff of Earl Roger de Montgomery.

The remains of a medieval village have been uncovered in an adjacent field but the earliest part of the house itself, a timbered cross wing, has been dated to about 1575.

The most remarkable feature of the house, an impressive mixture of timber and stone from the outside, is a Tudor staircase, probably moved from elsewhere and housed in a purpose-built tower.

Apart from an impressive 58 windows, the house also boasts several grand fire- places, with bread ovens, six of which were uncovered during the renovation.

Mr Ratcliff admits negotiating the work with local authority planning officers responsible for listed buildings was testing, arguing officials are too hard-pressed to consider sufficiently the impact of applying regulations to individual circumstances.

The couple have also had to sell another farm at Arley to fund the work and recent agricultural crises have taken their toll.

However, the couple's son and daughter-in-law, who have taken over the farm, have launched a successful venture, Detton Beef and Lamb.

Anyone wanting to visit the house should contact Mr and Mrs Ratcliff on 01299 270387.