A priest has uncovered historic stencils in the walls of a Scottish church, as renovations were being carried out on the building.
Holy Trinity Episcopalian church, located in the Scottish Borders town of Melrose has been closed to worshippers since June when builders moved in to repair dry rot damage found in the roof timbers.
According to the BBC, rector of Holy Trinity, Revd Philip Blackledge, said: "I discovered them when going into the church at night.
"With the light shining in a certain direction, it was possible to make out some very unusual designs.
"Some of this has been re-instated in the redecoration, and the stencil work, which is an intricate, flowing pattern of grapes and vine leaves, will continue as a long-term project.
"Stencils were often very 'bog standard' and there are many books of stencilling patterns, but this one seems to be original and unusual for a church."
Worshippers will return to church on Sunday when the Bishop of Edinburgh, the Right Reverence Dr John Armes will rededicate the building to the Holy Trinity.
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Article by Desmond Busteed
Desmond Busteed is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
