Painting sliced up to fill space

Your Paintings has found the Talbot family who owned Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire did the ultimate patch-up job when they needed to pay for the upkeep of their property.

A painting of King Henry VIII which was on display was sold to fund repairs to the abbey about 60 years ago by Matilda Talbot.

The empty octagonal space it left was filled by chopping a rectangular painting of John Ivory Talbot down to fit.

The rest of the painting is kept in a museum just off the long gallery at the abbey.

There are plans to put the hands in the original frame on display next to the painting in the future.