WORK to give a historic building a facelift is nearly finished.

The NatWest Bank in York Street, which is over 100-years-old, has been hidden behind scaffolding and sheets for weeks.

Work on the rear of the building, being done by UK Restoration Services, is due to finish in the next couple of weeks, with the front being completed next month.

The Dun Horse Inn occupied the plot where the building now stands and was selected to be a bank around 1896 due to its large cellars which could be used as vaults.

Gavin Fletcher, a contractor administrator at UK Restoration Services, said: “We have tried to complete this project as quickly as possible in order to minimise any disruption to local businesses but obviously a task like this takes time.

“The work has been carried out to preserve the building for generations to come and make sure it is still in working order in the next 100 years.

“As the stonework had been pointed with a cement-based mortar, the wall is unable to ‘breathe’ which is one of the causes of the stone decay.

“The freeze and thaw over the winter months affects masonry in spring months when buildings thermally expand.”

The cement-based mortar is being removed to be replaced with a lime-based mortar to reduce the decay and areas of stonework are also being repaired using a lithomex, whilst some areas are replaced with matching stone from a local quarry.

Resident Jill Andrews said: “It’s a shame that the building has been covered up for a while because it’s a bit of an eyesore but I suppose it will be worth it.”