The secrets behind the mysterious Medieval graffiti inscribed in the stone and woodwork of Suffolk's churches will be explained during a talk in Lowestoft.

The county's churches tell the story of the elite members of the medieval parish.

The coloured glass of the medieval church window, and the dull brasses laid into marble upon the floor, do not carry images of peasants ploughing - but of the local gentry in all their finery.

Graffiti, however, was created by all levels of society and includes everything from ships and dragons, to prayers for long dead children, offering a unique insight into the ordinary people of the medieval parish.

Pat May, a volunteer for the Norfolk and Suffolk Medieval Graffiti Surveys, will be giving a talk at Suffolk Record Office, in Lowestoft Library, on Saturday, February 25, from 2pm.

Tickets, costing £7.50, are available online from www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/events or by calling 01502 674680.