Here is a strong contender for Britain’s most beautiful estate agency office.

A landmark property in Northwich, Imperial Buildings is now home to agents Temples, owned by husband and wife team Gary and Natalie Williams.

It has been a labour of love and imagination for the couple who bought the derelict building last year and set about restoring it to its former glory.

It dates back to 1898 and the building had been empty for five years, inhabited only by pigeons.

The building’s various previous occupants included an estate agent, Ernest Chamberlain, and during the renovations, hundreds of documents in his handwriting were unearthed.

Other occupants included the county court, the Northwich Building Society, Barclays Bank and an Indian restaurant.

During the renovations, a huge steel bank vault door was uncovered, together with an ornate staircase and various artefacts.

We congratulate Gary and Natalie on a fantastic restoration and also on their company’s tenth birthday.

The firm is marking it by expanding from lettings into sales.

The pictures show Imperial Buildings as it now is after its restoration, and as it was back in 1922, courtesy of Barclays’ archives.