A woman who is passionate about preserving British history is appealing to the new owners of a jeweller’s shop not to tear down its “immaculately preserved” façade.

Nicola Lewis, who holds a degree in design, was “devastated” when she found out M.Winger Jewellers in Leyton’s Lea Bridge Road was closing.

The 43-year-old of Ryder Avenue, Leyton, has been a customer at the store for the past 25 years and says visiting to have her jewellery cleaned and repaired was like “stepping back in time”.

The business has been run by the same family for 100 years and the shop, thought to have been built in 1908, is one of the few remaining Victorian/Edwardian storefronts in the road left untouched.

“I’m very interested in British history and passionate about preserving it,” said Ms Lewis. “We shouldn’t throw everything in the dustbin.

“It’s important to give a sense of continuity so you can see where we have come from.

“I would like to see the next owner preserving the architecture because it’s a beautiful shop inside and out and it has been immaculately preserved.

“It’s the only one of its kind for a good few miles’ radius and there’s so little left of the original Victorian and Edwardian buildings. I don't want it to be lost forever.

“This building looks exactly like it looked back in that era. It’s a nice experience going into the shop – like stepping back in time and seeing a bit of old England.”

Ms Lewis said it would be “a tragedy” if the building, which survived two world wars, was left to disappear without any recognition or acknowledgement.

The owner, who has run the family business with his wife for the past 50 years, will retire this summer.