NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND—Wall paintings dating to the seventeenth century have been uncovered at Lindisfarne Castle, which was originally constructed as a fort in 1550 on Holy Island, off the coast of northeastern England. The Guardian reports that the images were found under layers of paint and plaster in the castle’s old kitchen and in one of the bedrooms by conservators. “They used charcoal to draw it, very simple carbon, and there are areas of red pigment so they might have been painted and colored,” said house steward Nick Lewis. “We know it was done professionally, so you didn’t just sit and do it yourself, and in those days there was a guild of wall painters who they would have used.” Lewis said the find surprised him, since the building was originally constructed for military use. And, because the decorations were found in two different parts of the structure, the entire building may have received similar treatment. The paintings will be stabilized and restored. To read in-depth about nearby Bamburgh Castle, go to “Letter From England: Stronghold of the Kings in the North.”
