The faint image of a saint carrying a book is thought to be only the second such work surviving in all of England. The image was uncovered several years ago 30 feet up the east wall of the church but has been kept a guarded secret until recently.
"You can only see faint marks from the ground but it's quite clear to the naked eye when you get up there. It's the sort of discovery that one's likely to find just once in a lifetime," said Michael Hare, chairman of The Friends of Deerhurst Church, who found the painting.
