IF you live in one of Worcestershire's listed buildings, John Burrows could soon be round your house, if he hasn't already.

Because John is taking part in a national project called Images of England, which aims to compile a photographic record of all England's edifices listed for their historical or architectural importance - and the county is his patch.

Right from Worcester Guildhall to a little hidden milestone down some far flung country lane.

Run by the National Monuments Record, the public archive of English Heritage, the scheme aims to make pictures of England's 370,000 listed buildings available through the Internet.

This is some grand undertaking, especially as most of the labour is voluntary. It is, however, just the job for people like John.

A keen photographer since he was knee-high to a tripod and member of Worcestershire Camera Club for 20 years, although never a professional, he's found it ideal in his retirement years from the building society profession.

"I've always been interested in photography and now I can do it with a purpose," he said.

John is one of a thousand volunteer photographers engaged in the project across the country, all of whom carry a photo-identity card and a leaflet. So ask to see it if you find a stranger taking photographs of your house.

"Strictly speaking, we don't need permission if we are taking photographs from public land, such as a roadway," he explained. "But in reality, it is often necessary to go into a garden or somewhere closer to get a suitable image.

"Images of England are quite particular about the quality of the photographs they use.

"Once you tell them what you are doing, virtually all the people I have met have been very co-operative."

After all, the photographic record only relates to the building and while a picture of it and a brief description appear on the Internet, there is no reference to who lives there, a phone number or any other way of identifying or contacting the occupier.

Indeed, not all John's work involves taking pictures of houses. There are churches, barns, milestones, telephone boxes and churchyard monuments to be recorded too.

So far, in less than two years, he has taken more than 1,300 photographs with his Pentax camera.

"I use Kodak 400 film which is fast and fairly idiot-proof," he added. "March through to September is the favourite time of the year because the light is so tremendously important, but summer can bring its problems.

"Heavily leafed trees can obscure a building and if you have very bright sunlight, it can cast dark shadows, which will obliterate things.

"If it's a nice day, around now - early Spring - is as good a time as any, the leaves aren't out and you can take a clean, crisp, uncluttered picture."

Of course walking round the countryside with a camera can arouse suspicions, especially in these over sensitive days of political correctness.

"I am frequently met with suspicious glances," said John, "and for the most part you are cold calling. There's no way of making appointments because you don't know who lives there. It's a bit like a door to door salesman. In fact, my opening gambit is often 'Don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you anything!'

"But people are amazingly co-operative. I've even had them take down scaffolding and move other things so I can take a clear picture of a building.

"Then you'll have others who will say, 'Can you come back in a month's time when the wisteria's out. The house looks prettier then.' "

Understandably, he knows many parts of Worcestershire like the back of his hand.

The villages of Martley, Alfrick, Kempsey, Knightwick, Upton Snodsbury and many more have had the Burrows treatment.

"Do you know Broadway's main street has 101 listed buildings?" he asked. "And only 50 face the right way."

Images of England send him a log of locations it wants recorded and he works through it at his own pace.

When he's completed one batch and returned the photographs, the organisation forwards him another and so it goes on.

Along muddy farm tracks he travels and down leafy country lanes, into town squares and by the side of main roads, criss-crossing Worcestershire in search of his quarry.

"The challenge is to take a good picture as a record for future generations," said John.

So if you see him in your village, you'll know what he's up to.