A village historian believes she has shed fresh light on a name carved on a church pillar seven centuries ago.

As reported in the EDP last week, volunteers carrying out research into medieval graffiti discovered the letters spelling out Bestelbyh high on a pillar in the nave of St Catherine's Church, Ludham.

Last year's find, along with other graffiti discovered at the same time –including stonemasons' daisywheel markings and crosses – inspired a public graffiti trail launched at the church at the weekend.

Now painstaking detective work by Beulah Gowing, 89, Ludham church's former archivist, has produced an intriguing theory about the identity of Bestelbyh.

Mrs Gowing said she had been unfamiliar with the upside down inscription until she was recently given a sketched copy of it to research by a fellow villager.

She said: 'I spent more than two days matching ancient writing, researching names of abbots, priors and monks at nearby St Benet's Abbey and checking names on memorial rolls for Ludham.

'And it became clear to me. The name must be Robert de Biskele, priest of Ludham in 1318.'

She said she had first come across the name when helping a Philip Bixley – whose name was a likely derivative – carry out research into his family history more than 25 years ago.

It is thought that the nave of the 14th century church was rebuilt in the 15th century in a much grander fashion, but recycling stone previously used.

Mrs Gowing said: 'A possible reason the stone was re-laid upside down was that the workman was illiterate or drunk.'

Ken Grapes, chairman of the parochial church council, said: 'All of this is surmise, but if Mrs Gowing is right it is most interesting.'

He said it remained a mystery why the name was inscribed on the pillar in the first place.

'Perhaps it might have been the vicar's son or someone bored by a sermon going on a long time,' he said.

The graffiti finds at the church were made during wider research made as part of a St Benet's Abbey restoration project.

Amanda Sargant, 54, of Catfield Road, Ludham, volunteered to join the graffiti hunters and uncovered the letters.

She said: 'It is only when you hold a light at a certain angle that you can make it out.'

Explaining the idea behind the graffiti trail, Mr Grapes said: 'We get up to 10,000 visitors a year and we thought this would be something extra for them to see.'

Scores of people joined the trail during the arts and craft fair held over the bank holiday weekend to raise money for the church.