Clearing out charred remains piled up inside is next step in restoring historic Hadley Green mansion gutted by fire last May

Work is about to begin removing charred debris from inside a fire-ravaged Georgian house on Hadley Green after completion of a delicate operation to construct a framework of scaffolding and supports to stabilise the outer walls.

A massive fire over the May bank holiday gutted Hollybush House leaving only the shell of the Grade II listed building and its chimney stacks.

As the outer structure was considered so unsafe, access to the interior of the house – even by fire investigators – has had to wait until the scaffolding was finished.

Upper brickwork, especially at the rear of the building was left in such a fragile state there was a fear of outer walls collapsing.

Once the charred remains have been removed it will be possible to make a full assessment of the state of the building and contractors will be able to secure the brickwork and make a start on repairs and restoration.

The owners of Hollybush House, which was built in around 1790, say they are determined to ensure full restoration as they recognise its importance as part of the historic heritage of Monken Hadley.

Myshkin Clarke Hall, lead architect for the project, told the Barnet Society the owners of the house were committed to putting it back as it was.

Fire investigators would enter the building together with the clear-out crew.

He thought it would take two or three months to remove all the debris which would give them a chance to see how bad the damage was and then they could start repairing the brickwork.

An intricate web of scaffolding and internal supports had been necessary to secure the walls. The aim was to retain the original façade.

Brickwork on the front façade had survived quite well but was precarious at the rear and around the chimney stacks as the mortar had been damaged in the fire. Some of the bricks were cracked and would need to be removed and replaced.

Long term it might take two to two and half years to build a new roof, complete the reconstruction and finish off all the interior installations.

Ten fire engines and 70 firefighters tackled the blaze which broke out at around 1am on May bank holiday.

Hollybush House, which it is thought went for an estimated £4.5 million when last sold in 2020, was in the process of being renovated and refurbished. A new roof had only recently been completed together with new windows.