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Wall paintings believed to be nearly 400 years old were discovered in an apartment in northern England after a kitchen renovation, Darrick reports.

In December, Luke Budworth, 29, his partner Hazel Mooney, 26, and their dog Leonard moved out of their one-bedroom flat in York City temporarily while their new kitchen was fitted.

Then they get a call from the contractors with one question: "Do you know there's a painting in the back?"

By the time Budworth goes to look, the new kitchen cabinets are already on the wall, and the only evidence of the discovery is a blurry photo taken by the installers.

Although disappointed, Budworth, who is a research data analyst at the University of Leeds, suspects that a piece of paneling on the other side of the open living area may also be hiding something.

"It was painted the same as the rest of the wall and I knew it was hollow," he says.

"I always thought it was probably just covering pipes."

His suspicion turns out to be correct.

Both frescoes measure about 2.7 by 1.2 meters - although they are cut away at the top of the ceiling.

 York's Old Town is surrounded by an ancient wall and Budworth's flat, which he bought in October 2020, is located in it on one of the main streets.

The property, situated above a cafe and charity bookshop, is part of a building dating back to 1747.

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"We thought maybe it was Victorian wallpaper, but it was much, much more than that," Budworth told CNN.

The recently exhibited mural depicts a biblical scene, and Historic England, the public body that looks after the country's historic heritage, is sending a representative to inspect the work and take professional photographs.

The organization gave the couple a high-quality, life-size replica of the frieze and advised them to cover it to preserve it.

The mural is believed to contain scenes from a 1635 book called Emblems written by the poet Francis Quarles.

"The murals predate the apartment itself," says Budworth, explaining that the work was painted on the wall of a building that no longer exists.

In other words, the property is built around an existing wall.

The paintings are believed to have been created between 1635, when Emblems was written, and 1700, when such works of art fell out of fashion.

Although the couple did not have the resources to invest in professional conservation of the exposed frieze, they sought to incorporate it into their decor.

"If we can find some funding to help preserve it, I'd take the kitchen cabinets off the wall, but unfortunately, I don't see how that's going to happen."

However, the other mural will be preserved," says the owner.

Historic England confirmed to CNN that they had visited the property and given images of the paintings to the mural conservation department at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

Kitchen renovation reveals 400-year-old friezes in York flat https://t.co/sby10VdsBz

— Guardian culture (@guardianculture) March 19, 2023

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