EVIDENCE of rare wall paintings have been uncovered at The Almonry Museum in Evesham.
Distinctive black, brown and grey patterning which could date from the late 1500s was discovered in the former archaeology room by museum manager Ashleigh Jayes.
The 14th Century timber-framed building which is about to undergo a significant £2.1million restoration project has been decanted of objects, and two areas of decorative markings were found on a wall previously covered by a large display case.
Ashleigh told the Observer that she noticed some peeling wallpaper and couldn’t resist giving it a pull.
“At first, I thought the marks on the back of the wallpaper might be mould but then I noticed the distinctive pattern on the plaster.
“It’s incredible to find decoration like this in the Almonry, it’s going to help us tell the story of this building in so much more detail,” she said.
Ashleigh is now meeting with conservators, conservation officers and the building restoration project team to map out next steps and ensure the walls are protected during imminent works to retile the roof.
“It needs to be decided what we can do with regards to revealing them, conserving them or otherwise.
“It’s an exciting time and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next,” Ashleigh added.
Once part of the Benedictine Abbey in Evesham, The Almonry was the home of the Almoner, one of the monks. It was the Almoner’s job to provide alms to the poor and needy of the town.
The earliest part of the building complex dates to around 1390 and has been an important part of the town for centuries, serving as a home, offices, possibly an inn and even a tearoom in the early part of the 20th Century.
See www.almonryevesham.org/ for more information.
