A medieval hall could soon be restored to its former glory, 30 years after being ripped apart.

Manor Cottage stood at the centre of what was the sleepy village of Southwick for about 500 years.

Over the centuries its timber frame and flint walls stood firm as the surrounding village grew into a town.

The cottage, the oldest house in Southwick, was considered historically important enough to be awarded Grade II Listed status.

However, that did not prevent it from becoming a victim of modernisation - or what some critics saw as architectural vandalism.

Two rooms and the gable wall of the west wing were lost when they were demolished 30 years ago because they were deemed unsafe.

The gable wall was replaced by a modern reconstruction which experts believe would not be allowed today.

A major project to restore Manor Cottage to its pre-Seventies appearance will be launched by the Southwick Society next week.

Curator Nigel Divers said: "The main building dates from no later than the 15th Century and is probably a single aisled hall dating from much earlier.

"What took place in the Seventies was simply quite appalling and should never have been allowed to happen.

"We have no doubt that today demolition would never have been allowed. Now we want to put it back.

"This project will help to cherish our heritage for today and tomorrow."

Architects are preparing plans for the project, expected to go before Adur District Council's planning committee later this year.

If approved, a specialist building firm would reconstruct what was lost using flint and timbers brought in specially.

The society leases the building from the council and is responsible for its upkeep and repair.

It is already used as a local heritage centre, staging exhibitions and meetings several times a year.

The society also uses it to store its archives and plans to improve the reception area and other facilities.

Mr Divers said: "The restored building would in every way be sympathetic to the existing structure. We would simply be replacing what was lost. Old parts of the building would not be disturbed. All the ancient walls and timbers would remain untouched.

"There would be an archaeological examination before any foundations were touched to ensure that we learnt as much as possible about the building's history and did not lose any evidence of its story.

"At the moment, we do not know exactly how much the work will cost but it is likely to be in the region of tens of thousands of pounds."

A meeting to launch the initiative will be held at nearby Southwick Community Centre, Southwick Street on Monday at 7.30pm.