Tucked behind an ordinary terrace of Victorian houses in the Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter is one of the treasures of its manufacturing past.

But like so many of the once-thriving businesses of the Midlands, silversmiths JW Evans and Sons is now a faded example of its past.

Inside, the staff have been made redundant, the power has been cut and plastic buckets are sat collecting rain water dripping through the leaky roof.

But in a bid to preserve more than a century of history, the present owner, 69-year-old Tony Evans has vowed to safeguard the building from developers and has sold up to English Heritage, who are turning it into a museum.

“People seem to forget the silverware tradition, I think this should be a good monument to the industry,” said Tony.

Opened in 1880 by his grandfather Jenkin Evans, the business has been run by four generations of the same family, including Tony’s sons.

The firm made everything from ornate tableware, candelabras to decorative labels for decanters, and thrived for decades.

But a decline in the silverware trade saw manufacturing trail off until the staff were finally made redundant in 2005.

Tony started work alongside his father Austen when he was just 16 and quickly took over the management.

And almost five decades in the industry means he can find his way around the thousands of moulds and tools in the rabbit warren of a building with surprising agility.

“A while ago someone asked for a dye that we haven’t used in more than 100 years, I knew where it was and managed to spot it from the other end of the room,” he said.

Downstairs in the stamp room a row of huge, archaic-looking weights used to press the silver over the moulds look like they haven’t been changed in the last 100 years.

“They will weigh more than some people. It was hard work and they are so loud.”

It is not known when the museum will open, but when it does, English Heritage bosses hope it will keep the tradition alive for many years to come.