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The Parlour Wall Paintings, Little Moreton Hall

The paintings represent elaborate panelling and an ornamental frieze. There are also twelve panels showing alternate biblical scenes and black letter text. They are believed to date from around 1580 and are associated with John Moreton who owned the hall at that time.

The pictorial scenes were painted on to paper and pasted on to the wall. The frieze and the sections painted to simulate panelling were painted directly on to the wall.

The fashion for wall paintings like this was short-lived, lasting only from around 1570 to around 1610. Once completed, the paintings were soon out of favour; they were replaced by wooden panelling as this is both attractive and an effective method of insulation.

The paintings were uncovered in 1976.

Little Moreton Hall is a 15th and 16th-century manor house. The earliest parts of the house were built for Cheshire landowner Sir Richard de Moreton around 1450; the remainder was constructed in various stages until around 1580. The house remained in the ownership of the Moreton family for almost five centuries.

The restored house has been owned by the National Trust since 1938 and is open to the public from March to December. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is protected as a Scheduled Monument.