Painting which went unnoticed for 150 years found on back of map

A striking watercolour of a bridge in the Scottish Borders, which had gone unnoticed in archives for more than 150 years, has been found by accident on the back of a geological map.

Luis Albornoz-Parra, of the British Geological Survey (BGS), stumbled on the artwork while carrying out research for Historic Environment Scotland (HES) on the building stones of Dryburgh Abbey.

The painting of the Dryburgh Suspension Bridge - on the back of geological field notes - is believed to have been painted by Benjamin Peach while conducting field work in the 1870s.

BGS said the artwork offered a "snapshot of the iconic crossing" and is thought to be from just a year after it opened.

Albornoz-Parra was looking through old field slips - the original maps that geologists fill with field observations while mapping the rocks of an area - when he uncovered the painting in the archives at The Lyell Centre in Edinburgh.

"I was charmed by the quality of the watercolour and wanted to share it with my colleagues," he said.

"Mostly I was fascinated by the fact that Peach was an excellent geologist and palaeontologist - his geological studies and theories still stand - but he was also such an excellent artist.

"I can imagine him having a lunchtime break from all the geological mapping, during which he would be drawing the watercolour."

BGS said the work provided a "unique record of the Victorian landscape" around Dryburgh.

It was found while looking through early field slips to gather more information about the area's abbey, which is currently undergoing restoration.

The first bridge at the spot was built in 1817 to replace a ferry, but it lasted only a year before being blown down in a gale.

A replacement lasted a bit longer before it, too, collapsed in stormy weather in 1838.

The third bridge, which is still standing, was completed in 1872 and it is believed to have been captured by Peach's artwork a year later when he was known to be conducting fieldwork in the region.

Daniel Burgess, BGS geological data steward, said: "Field slips have always been a vital tool for geologists since the inception of the survey in the 19th Century, as a way of recording important observations, measurements and notes whilst out in the field.

"It was not unusual for geologists, who are often out in the field for weeks at a time, to sketch the landscapes that have been shaped by the underlying geology.

"In this example, Peach is showing how the tough volcanic rocks of the Eildon Hills dominate the landscape around Dryburgh."

He said that their records did occasionally throw up a "welcome surprise" and they knew "almost instantly" it was one of Peach's artworks.

Peach worked at BGS from 1862 until his retirement in 1905.

Alongside his geological work, he produced hundreds of sketches and paintings during his field surveys.

He also played a pivotal role in resolving the Highlands Controversy - one of the most significant geological debates of the 19th Century about how different layers of rock came to be in their current location.

Peach and others eventually resolved it through fieldwork which showed that older layers or rock had ended up on top of younger strata because of huge thrust faults.

The geological field map is now stored in the BGS archives, alongside approximately 40,000 other items, which include administrative records and the papers of BGS staff.