Little Church - Painting.

c.1480.

Best preserved:  the Visitation on north wall, restored by Professor E.W. Tristram in 1931.

Tristram (DAJ 1931) found traces of paintings from the 13th to the 17th century.  They are mostly on the north wall from the door to the window:  Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity and possibly visit of Magi.  There are also mouldings and patterns around the east window, all late 13th century.  Some traces on the south wall especially near the windows.  Text is 16th century. (Tristram).

‘The interior badly needed renovation, and the architects, Mr P.H. Currey and Mr C.C. Thompson, were called in to advise and superintend the work.  One of the jobs was lime-washing the walls, and as they carried many old coats of lime, the architects gave instructions that great care should be used in removing them, and if traces of colour were revealed, they were to be at once informed, as they had in mind the possibility of concealed paintings.  Almost immediately thick coats of lime peeled away over a large area exposing a most interesting and valuable painting ‘The Visitation’ described below.  On the advice of the architects, Professor Tristram, our leading expert on wall paintings and their treatment, was called in, and under his supervision the walls were completely stripped, revealing paintings, the details of which follow.’

Description of the paintings, by Prof. E.W. Tristram, D.Litt..  Details of

dated about 1280.  
There is another painting by a less skilled hand ‘on the eastern splay of the window’.  
The mouldings round the east window, and pictures on that wall, also late 13th century.  Also some in south aisle - high up on south wall at the west, round the west and south windows and between the south windows – the latter apparently 16th century.
(Source:  article in photocopy, in my folder, source unknown but pp. 114-117.)