The newly re-built 17th century building at the heart of one of Dartmouth's biggest fire disasters is being thrown open to the public next week.

Hotelier Nigel Way, who owns the centuries old complex, is holding an open day to show the town just what has been done in the £1m-plus project to rebuild and restore the historic building in Higher Street. The open day will be taking place between 10am and 1pm on regatta Thursday.

And it will include a Dartmouth museum expert who will be able to spell out the history of the building, which dates back to 1640, and its place in the town.

At the time of the fire, which gutted the listed building along with surrounding shops, offices and flats, the building housed a restaurant and boasted one of the finest Jacobean moulded plaster ceilings in the area.

The fire happened just over three years ago but because of he sensitivity of restoring the old building the work was only completed this month following a 32-week project.

It has been rebuilt as two apartments and a shop which was due to open this weekend as a bespoke home furnishings business run by Anne Way.

The project manager was town councillor Rob Lyon.

He said: 'We are gong to have an open morning so that people can walk around the building and we can generally explain to people why it has take quite so long to put it all back together.'

He said there would be a photo display and someone from the town museum on hand to explain the building's history and importance.

'We thought it would be nice for the town to be able to look inside it.'

During the rebuilding project, dozens of old leaded windows destroyed in the fire had to be individually handmade to fit back into the old building.

The plaster ceiling was restored by experts using what could be salvaged from the blaze as a guide.

And even some of the historic panelling was restored and then replaced in the building.

Most ticklish part of the whole project was raising the timber frame front of the old building some three inches, said Mr Lyon.

The huge timbers had dropped from their original place even before the fire and they fell further after the beams tying the fabric of the complex together burned through.

It took a whole load of specialist jacks and eight weeks to raise the front into place as it went up millimetres at a time, said Mr Lyon.