A 340-year-old coat of arms has been rediscovered in the grounds of Wiltshire College Lackham.

The plaque, dating from 1670, was spotted by Lackham gardener and historian Tony Pratt while working with apprentice Jack Clunie on clearing ivy and other foliage from around the walls of Lackham House.

After making the discovery, Mr Pratt, an authority on the history of the estate, identified the find as the coat of arms of James Montagu II, the first to own the Lackham estate by right of inheritance, and his wife, Diana Hungerford.

He said: “It’s quite exciting really, well it is for someone like me. We were cutting back a lot of overgrown foliage and there it was, just sitting on the wall above us.

“The buildings at Lackham House were filled in in the 1900s, and although it’s difficult to say exactly, the plaque has probably not been easily visible for a good 100 years or so.

“I knew what it was immediately as I’d been looking at the arms the night before while preparing a talk for the Chippenham and Swindon History Centre.”

Mr Pratt thinks that the coat of arms were taken down from the original medieval house and re-installed on the current Lackham House, built by James Montagu VI, between 1793 and 1796.

He said: “Considering its age, the plaque is in very good condition. There is very slight damage to the left-hand corner but it’s certainly not in need of any restoration work, and it’s just nice to see that another piece of Lackham’s history is intact.”