It was once at the heart of a bustling waterside manufacturing quarter – but now it is all that remains of an age gone by.

The front of the historic Homer Pressings is being preserved as part of a £60 million redevelopment of the Waterfront South area, Charles Street, Walsall.

The land has been completely cleared ahead of building work on new homes, shops and offices.

But developers Cannock-based Jessup commissioned a historical study on the Homer building – built in the late 1800s – and it was felt it should be incorporated into the Waterfront’s new look.

Workmen have had to carefully demolish the rest of the structure leaving just the brick facade standing – supported by heavy duty beams. When complete the refurbished Homer building will contain five commercial units on the ground floor and 27 apartments on the upper floors in part of the first phase of Waterfront South along with 92 apartments and 22 houses. The building was constructed as the premises of AS Smith & Sons, producing stirrups and spurs.

Homer Pressings went into receivership in 2002.