MYSTERY surrounds a painting hanging for nearly 80 years in the locked sacristy of a tiny church in West Dorset.

The 8ft by 6ft oil painting was painted by renowned Bridport artist Fra Newbery in 1931 and shows five of the seven Chideock Martyrs, who were killed for their Catholic faith between 1587 and 1642.

Research shows two figures originally included in the picture were later painted out - but no one knows why.

The painting hangs in the sacristy of Chideock's Roman Catholic Church attached to Chideock Manor, where the Duke and Duchess of York lived during the 1980s.

It has now come to the attention of the organisers of a month-long series of events billed as the Newbery Trail, to celebrate the life of Newbery, who went on to become director of Glasgow School of Art and a mentor to Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Gaby Martelli, whose family have been connected with the manor and the Church of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs and St Ignatius since 1802, said: "I think my grandfather Humphrey Weld commissioned it but he died in 1929.

"We're not sure where it originally hung but in my and my brother Charles' lifetime it has always been in the priest's sacristy.

"The church is open every day of the year but the sacristy has to be kept locked and the public don't usually have access to this part of the building, which used to be the site of the original barn church."

But the painting will be on show during the Newbery Trail. Trail project manager Crystal Johnson said she was delighted the picture would be available to view in the sacristy during April.

She said: "This painting is quite typical of Newbery's commissioned work for public places and offers a fascinating insight into the heritage of Chideock.

"Particularly interesting is the depiction of Chideock Castle. In a classic Newbery style, the backdrop of the action is a local scene, in this case Golden Cap and the sea beyond."

Mrs Martelli, who along with her brother Charles Weld is a trustee of the church, said: "Newbery was working in the area at the time and we think our grandfather got to know of him and commissioned the painting."

The five Chideock Martyrs featured in the painting are Blessed John Cornelius, family servants John Carey and Patrick Salmon, Blessed Thomas Bosgrave and Blessed Hugh Green. They all met a terrible death for their faith and were beatified in 1987.