A hidden Victorian artwork has been uncovered during the restoration of an old school chapel.
Contractors stumbled on a band of gothic script around the apse of the chapel at St John's School in Leatherhead this month.
A suspended ceiling had masked the inscription on the wall and the chapel's wooden beamed roof for nearly 50 years.
Abbie Carr, development director at the school, said they had fundraised a third of the £1m needed for the restoration.
Of the discovery, she said: "It was a bit of a surprise really. We had seen the painting in old photographs."
Conservators are currently working on the inscription and the school plans to leave it on show in the restored chapel, which will be used by the community and school.
The school magazine, the Johnian, of 1887 thanks the artist, a Miss Eastwood, for painting the text, which is a variation of a quote from the Gospel of John in the Bible.
A photograph of the chapel
The magazine said: "We wish to express our gratitude to Miss Eastwood for the adornment of our chapel walls, the coldness of the stone is much relieved by the colouring and the text."
The translation of the text is: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will resurrect him on the day of judgement for my flesh is truly food and my blood truly drink."
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