500-year-old paintings found at Hertfordshire pub

The discovery was made by builders at the Salisbury Arms in Hoddesdon, which will reopen as the Star on 16 December.

The paintings, located on the north wall of the bar, depict figures in Elizabethan clothing with biblical texts. Additional detail was also found on one of the beams supporting the ceiling.

JDW said the architects have worked with specialists to preserve the paintings, which were covered in thick layers of dirt and debris after many years’ neglect behind the panelling.

They will be protected by a glass and oak screen, with interpretative material displayed to explain the subject matter and the remedial treatments undertaken.

It is understood the pub was once owned by John Borrell, Serjeant-at-Arms to Henry VIII.

Jon Randall, head of property development and acquisitions at JDW, said: “We have taken great effort to restore the wall paintings which will be a central feature of the pub.

“The architects responsible for the pub, together with the specialists responsible for the conservation project, deserve praise for the care and skill they have taken.”