Ledbury'S historic Severn Stars pub will have risen from the ashes by the autumn.

Many of the shattered pub's original timbers will have been saved despite the devastating fire which swept through the building.

Long awaited restoration work has now started, under the eye of Church Lane architect Peter Taylor, of Stainburn & Taylor.

Mr Taylor revealed this week that some 70 per cent of the original timbers from the bar and guest accommodation area of the pub, below the roof level, can be cleaned up and re-used.

He said: "We are trying to use as much original timber as possible. We have had to clear charring off to get back to a sound surface."

Mr Taylor said he was not surprised that so much original timber survived the blaze in July 2001.

He pointed to the resilience of ancient oak and the fact that the flames swept across at ceiling level and then were funnelled upwards to the roof space, in a chimney effect.

The rear of a building, which housed the landlords' accommodation, is a different story. So little survived that English Heritage has given permission for a new design to be built, featuring a restaurant.

Nick Trueman, spokesman for the pub's owner, the Punch Pub Company, said: "The brief has always been to restore the building in line with its Grade II listed status. The work being carried out will bring the Seven Stars back to its former glory, retaining the character.

"But we now also have a fantastic opportunity to improve the facilities where possible."

The capacity of the dining area will be increased to 40, while additions include a commercial kitchen, disabled toilets and disabled access and en-suite facilities to the pub's three letting rooms.

The oldest part of the pub, which could date back to the 16th Century, was the part least damaged by the fire. It gets progressively worse towards the rear of the building, which dated back to the late 17th Century.

The contractor for the rebuilding work will be the Malvern-based Speller-Metcalfe. The sub-contractor, Bob Naylor of Tillington, a specialist historical building contractor, will work on the restoration of the pub's timber frame.

Mr Naylor has already carried out restoration work on Ledbury's Market House and Newent's Market Hall.

The time scale for the restoration is brief because access is off the busy Homend, and disruption has to be kept to a minimum.