THE demise of a manor house boasting 16th century architecture and Elizabethan murals painted by travelling Italian artists into a "small amount of brickwork and a chimney breast" is the subject of a new video produced by Bewdley Civic Society.

Creator, Kenneth Hobson, described the documentary - Disaster at Dowles - as "a story that needed telling" and said the public's attention should be drawn to the loss of "totally irreplaceable" buildings such as Dowles Manor.

He explained the film took six months to put together and charted the history of the building during the 20th century, including the devastating effects of a mystery fire in 1982 and the prosecution of its owner, Robert Duckworth, for illegally demolishing part of the listed building in the 1990s.

Now, the manor house, which is set back from Dowles Road, just outside Bewdley, is "just a building site with a corrugated iron screen in front of it", according to Mr Hobson.

The retired solicitor, who worked for Marjorie Sheldon, who owned the manor house from 1942 until 1982, told the Shuttle/Times and News he had visited the property on several occasions - most recently in 1978 - and had based the film around a cine-film Mrs Sheldon gave him in 1975. This takes the viewer on a guided tour of the property.

It also features interviews with a host of Mrs Sheldon's former workers and her half sister, Petronella Trustran Eve, who lived in Dowles Manor as a child.

Firefighters who tackled the blaze in 1982 also talk to Mr Hobson of the inferno, which caused the loss of the murals and most of the roof.

Former firefighter, Stan Watkins, describes it as "one of the worst nights he ever fought a fire in because of the weather".

Mr Hobson said: "Disaster at Dowles was my idea for the title. I thought the two Ds - for Disaster and Dowles - fitted nicely together and, in my view, it was a disaster - both the fire and the subsequent rebuilding.

He added: "Marjorie's father had carried out a great deal of work on the property and he intended to give it to the National Trust, but he died before he could.

"His daughter inherited it with all its contents and she took great care of it for many years despite having large numbers of cats living there - 35 at one time - but then, very unfortunately, it caught fire," he said.

"She decided to leave what was left of the property to people who cared for her and then she decided to sell the property to Mr Duckworth."

He added he had lived and worked in Bewdley since 1960 and used "detective work" to compile the film, going from person to person questioning them about the house.

One hundred DVDs and videos have been produced and are on sale at Bewdley Books.

The proceeds of sales will go to Bewdley Civic Society, of which Mr Hobson is vice-president.

Ex-workers reveal secrets

THE eccentricities of Marjorie Sheldon during the four decades she owned Dowles Manor are remembered with fondness by former employees who tell Kenneth Hobson of her "whimsical sense of humour" and immense pride in Dowles Manor.

Former drivers, gardeners and housekeeping staff are among those interviewed on the video, as well as Mrs Sheldon's favourite electrician, Tony Goodwin, who speaks of their close relationship and discovery of a "secret compartment" in the house.

He initially tells of his terror at discovering he had to rewire the entire house - that the modern cables and white switches would "not suit her at all" - but says Mrs Sheldon was overjoyed with his work after all and their relationship developed to a point "where she did not want anyone else there".

Indeed, one afternoon he says he sent her staff to the kitchen and asked him to help her search for a secret compartment in the house, which her father told her of but she had been unable to find.

The pair tapped the panels of the walls, until they came across one that was loose.

"There was a screw in it and as I pressed the screw, you could slide the panel up and down - we had found the secret panel," he said.

Inside was a piece of carpet, a book with Mrs Sheldon's brother's name inscribed on it, his uniform from the First World War and the head of a pheasant in a glass.

"Together, we discovered this family treasure. It was really nothing of value but, to her, it was priceless," he said, "She was absolutely crazy about it."

Other accounts by staff refer to Mrs Sheldon's love of stray cats and children.

Former driver, Joyce Harrison, said: "I loved helping to feed the cats and when the plates went down on the forecourt they came from absolutely everywhere."

Mr Hobson told the Shuttle/Times and News of his own opinion of her. "She was eccentric but she had very good points," he said.

"There are not many people who intend to pass their property on to the National Trust and she had a nice sense of humour."