A pair of 19th century paintings by a legendary Keswick man have been found in a Blindcrake house.

George Smith was a serious artist and became known as the Skiddaw Hermit when he set up home on Dodd fell.

Julie Jackson, 51, was clearing out the family home when she found portraits of her  ancestors which were painted by the hermit.

Mr Smith's home, Chitty’s nest, was made up of branches, bracken, moss and grass.

Inside, were a bed of bracken and a blanket and cooking implements. 

He reputedly lived on a diet of dry tea leaves and sugar.

He was easily recognisable with a beard and ragged clothes, occasionally descending on Keswick for food and drink.

He made a living by painting the families of local farmers and pub landlords.

He painted Tom and Mary Graves, the siblings of Julie's great-great-grandmother Tamar, at Mirkholme Farm, near Bassenthwaite, in the 1860s.

The paintings were kept by the family when they moved to Blindcrake and are now in Julie's house.

Julie said: "The pieces always been quite scary to look at as they just stare at you.

"He was quite a unique person, a bit of a character and well known around the Keswick area.

"There aren't many of his paintings around and since Mary Burkett wrote a book about him in 1996 he's a bit of an icon."

Mr Smith, who came to the area from Scotland, had a fondness for whiskey which got him into trouble with the police many times and eventually led him to turn to religion and move back across the border.