Lindisfarne restoration uncovers ancient paintings

The flower pattern as originally thought to be a butterfly motif

Centuries-old paintings have been uncovered during the £3m restoration of a historic castle.

Flower motifs, thought to date from the 17th Century, were discovered at Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island, on the Northumberland coast.

They were revealed under layers of paint and plaster in the kitchen and west bedroom.

National Trust conservator John Wynn-Griffiths said it was an "exciting and rare find".

"We are always extremely careful when peeling back layers of history but we did not expect to find these paintings at all," he said.

Found in different parts of the 16th Century castle, they had been professionally painted, he said.

Lindisfarne Castle is undergoing a £3m restoration

Conservationists believe they suggest the building may have been used as more than a fort until the mid 19th Century.

The castle was taken over by the National Trust in 1944.