By JOEL SAWYER

TOURS of Bewsey Old Hall began again at the weekend, but the future of the site is still uncertain.

Members of the Bewsey Old Hall Conservation Project are eagerly awaiting the results of an 'options appraisal' which has looked into future uses of the site.

It is expected to be published in the next few weeks and will be presented to the project members, the borough council and English Partnerships.

Project members had applied to the lotteries board to make the hall a heritage centre but were turned down because they wanted "too much money for too little heritage".

A conservation plan has already been prepared, which shows how the hall will have to be cared for over the years.

The tours aim to promote the hall to the community and spread word of its history.

Bewsey Old Hall was once one of the most important houses in the county of Lancashire to which Warrington belonged until 1974 and a mixture of historical, architectural and archaeological investigation has revealed more than 700 years of continuous occupation, which is unique in the region.

King James I visited the hall which, for more than 300 years, was home to the Boteler family, Lords of the Manor of Warrington.

The next tour will be on Sunday, May 20.