A 200-year-old pencil sketch by John Constable is set to go on display at Colchester Castle, museum bosses have revealed.

The drawing of St Botolph’s Priory, dated September 19, 1808, was only recently identified as a Constable work.

It provides an alternative perspective to an existing sketch in the Colchester Museums library.

These two pieces together offer a visual tapestry of one of Colchester’s iconic historical buildings as it stood at the dawn of the 19th Century.

St Botolph’s Priory, dating from the Norman era, was the first English Augustinian priory church, and was heavily damaged in the English Civil War's Siege of Colchester.

Today, the surviving remnants are as they were depicted by Constable in his sketches.

The Friends of Colchester Museums acquired the sketch from London's Roseberys art auction house.

They them sponsored the preservation of the piece and two other displays, conducted by Nicholas Burnett, a specialist paper conservator who has been featured on the BBC TV show 'Fake or Fortune'.

Councillor David King, leader of the council, said: "The Constable at the Castle exhibit adds another layer of cultural richness to Colchester Castle.

"We extend our sincere gratitude to the Friends of Colchester Museums for their invaluable support in making this exhibit and the conservation efforts possible."