A FIFTEENTH Century listed building which had just undergone a £110,000 refurbishment has been ravaged by fire.

But miraculously, the fire was confined to the roof and the majority of the building, including the oak beams that date back to the reign of Henry VIII have been spared.

Hilary and Nigel Iskander who live yards away from Cradley Village Hall, in Cradley, near Malvern, raised the alarm after hearing the roof tiles cracking and smashing on the wooden floor.

Fire crews from Malvern, Worcester and Hereford fought the blaze as residents and members of the village hall committee looked in the early hours of yesterday morning .

"When I got there, the roof was well ablaze, but we were relieved in one respect because the fire was contained to the roof," said John Edgar, one of the three trustees of the village hall.

The fire destroyed two thirds of the roof, but the majority of the building structure and the new kitchen, which was part of the refurbishment completed in August this year, suffered only water damage. The oak beams also survived.

"These are substantial oak beams, dating back to about 1540, which is the time of Henry VIII, and it takes a lot of heat to burn them," said Mr Edgar.

It was also fortunate that the Iskanders were able to raise the alarm before the fire spread engulfing this and four other historic buildings, including the church, nearby.

And because the second stage of the refurbishments, costing a further £111,000, had not yet been carried out, irreplaceable maps, drawings and artefacts were not on site in the new archive building.

Fire crews remained at the scene during the morning and into the day to make sure the fire was completely extinguished.

The building belongs to the diocese of Hereford. It is not known exactly why the hall was originally built, but it was a school until after the Second World War when it became a community centre.

Mr Edgar said the centre provided a venue for evening classes and music events.

The village hall committee is due to meet tonight to discuss what steps to take next.

n Arsonists are thought to be responsible for a barn fire in Malvern in which 600 bales of hay were destroyed.

Firefighters from Malvern arrived on the scene at Madresfield Road, Sherrards Green, Malvern, shortly before 4pm yesterday.