INK blots and bits of Victorian DIY are to be preserved as part of the conservation of Richmond Town Hall's Georgian court area.

Fine art decoration specialist David Venables has begun the month-long task of examining and cleaning oak benches and panels which were used until the new courthouse opened in I'Anson Road in the Sixties.

His initial assessment has uncovered a 200-year-old story of make do and mend, which saw Georgian fittings taken from elsewhere and re-fitted into the town hall in the nineteenth century, giving a bucolic charm which would be lost if the restoration was too heavy-handed.

"I aim to conserve rather than restore. This was a functional room and there is a real sense of working history which must not be lost" he said." Every little knock and bump and mark reveals the fact that this was a working court, part of real people's lives. It is important to preserve all its oddities and idiosyncrasies."

Mr Venables, who was born at Haltwhistle in Northumberland and is now based in Doncaster, was commissioned by the town council to carry out the work.

His portfolio includes conservation of some of London's most famous palaces and embassies, including the Mansion House.

His first task was to strip away the 19th century varnish before bleaching the wood to even out the colour. A primer and further bleach will be applied, followed by a water and vinegar mix as a final wash.

The wood is then left for two days before a Georgian-coloured dye is painted on to penetrate the wood and a final coat of varnish applied. The renovated horsehair cushions will then be returned to the clerks' seats.

A slice of wood cut away from the back of the mayor's chair - to allow the back of the bench to fit around an eighteenth century wooden panel painted with the coat of arms - will be replaced and the panel hung higher on the wall.

As he works, Mr Venables continues to discover more about the pieces. "It is on the backs and undersides that you see how the benches and panels were made. The evidence shows they have been cut to fit and to conform to the shape of the building.

"There are very few Georgian courthouses of any quality remaining and it is well worth preserving. I hope my work will generate more interest in the court from residents, some of whom probably don't even realise it is here."

Work is due to be finished in time for the mayor-making ceremony in May and the town council is to produce an information leaflet for visitors