WORK to give new life to Huddersfield's historic King Street yards is nearly finished.

An 18-month programme to restore listed buildings in Goldthorpe's Yard and Wormald's Yard is expected to finish in about four weeks.

Twenty workers are putting the finishing touches to the £750,000 development, which has been spearheaded by the joint venture company run by Kirklees Council and Sheffield builder Henry Boot.

The scheme is designed to complement the neighbouring Kingsgate shopping centre, by providing properties for offices, small shops and pub- restaurants.

In Wormald's Yard, the work has included restoring two rows of cottages - believed to be the oldest surviving buildings in Huddersfield.

The two-and three- storey cottages at 3-8 Wormald's Yard have been structurally strengthened and fitted with new windows and doors.

They are being marketed as offices or small business premises.

Original stone setts and paving are being relaid following work to install water pipes and power cables.

A two-storey section of the building above the King Street entrance to Wormald's Yard was made safe by being dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt.

Goldthorpe's Yard forms part of a new Yates's Wine Lodge, due to open in April.

Yates's has taken premises fronting King Street on either side of the stone archway into Goldthorpe's Yard.

The former Barker's sports shop at the junction of King Street and Queen Street has also been refurbished to provide two floors of shopping space.

And three new shops have been built fronting King Street below Barker's.

Another new building has been added to the corner premises at the junction of King Street and Zetland Street.

It provides space for a pub-restaurant or four shops.