The owner went online and discovered that both friezes featured scenes from a 1635 book called “Emblems” (Credit: Reproduction)
Murals believed to be nearly 400 years old have been discovered in a flat in northern England after a kitchen renovation.
Luke Budworth, 29, his partner Hazel Mooney, 26, and their dog Leonard temporarily moved out of their one-bedroom apartment in York City Cathedral while their new kitchen was being fitted in December.
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Then Budworth got a call from the contractors. When he went to take a look, the new kitchen cabinets were on the wall, covering the frieze – the only evidence of the discovery being a blurry photo taken by the installers.
Though disappointed, Budworth, a research data analyst at the University of Leeds, suspected that a similar “panel piece” on the other side of the seating area could also be hiding something.
“It was painted the same as the rest of the wall and I knew it was hollow,” he said. “I always thought I was probably just covering some pipes.” His suspicion proved correct. “It was a matching piece,” he said.
According to Budworth, both friezes measure around 2.75m by 1.20m – although they are cut off at the top by the ceiling.
York’s old town is surrounded by an ancient wall and Budworth’s flat, which he bought in October 2020, is on Micklegate – one of the city’s main streets. The flat, which is above a café and a charity bookshop, is part of a Grade II listed Georgian building dating from 1747.
“We thought maybe it was Victorian wallpaper, but it was way, way beyond what I initially thought,” Budworth said.
The newly exposed frieze depicts a biblical scene in which a man in a cage is pulled away by an angel. There is also a man in a white buggy who, according to Budworth, “looks like he’s riding into the kingdom of heaven.”
“Very excited,” Budworth contacted Historic England, a public body that looks after the country’s historic environment. A representative was then dispatched to examine the artwork and take some detailed professional photos.
Historic England gave the couple a full-size, high-quality replica of the frieze and advised them to cover it up to preserve it.
Undertaking some historical detective work, Budworth went online and discovered that both friezes featured scenes from a 1635 book called “Emblems” written by the poet Francis Quarles.
“The paintings on the walls predate the apartment itself,” Budworth said, explaining that the artwork was held on the wall of a building that no longer exists. In other words, the building was built around an existing wall.
The paintings are believed to have been created between 1635, when “Emblems” was written, and 1700, when that art fell out of fashion, Historic England advised the couple, according to Budworth.
‘Fascinating’ discovery
Although the couple did not have the resources to invest in the professional conservation of the exposed frieze, they insisted on incorporating it into their decoration.
Budworth said: “If we could find some kind of funding to help conserve it, I would be willing to take the cabinets out. [da cozinha] from the wall, but unfortunately I don’t see that happening. The other, however, will be preserved in the best possible way.”
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Historic England said: “The discovery of these 17th century murals in a house in Micklegate, York is fascinating. They were first discovered in 1998 and later covered. We were involved in documenting the murals and supporting the current owner with how to best care for them since they were recently rediscovered.
“They raise a lot of questions about the ages of the buildings in this row of historic homes and the history of Micklegate itself. Findings like this tell us that our historic homes hold many secrets and we are pleased to be working with this owner to care for these murals for the future.”
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