AN HISTORIC painting of Budworth Hall's past as a military hospital has been presented to the local community association.

The painting, which previously hung in the Ongar War Memorial Hospital before it was closed earlier this year, is by George Rose and was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1916.

It shows the hall Ballroom being used as a makeshift Red Cross hospital between October 1914 and February 1919, and was passed onto the community association by NHS West Essex.

NHS West Essex director of corporate services Leigh Fleming said: "The painting highlights an important part of Ongar's history and we are pleased to be able to present it to the Ongar and District Community Association so that it can go on public display in the Budworth Hall."

Ongar and District Community Association chairman Roger Roles said: "We would like to thank NHS West Essex for their generous gift. We are delighted that the painting has returned to its natural home.

"The painting reminds people of one of the uses that the Budworth Hall has been put to over the years, including at a time when Great Britain was under attack."

Other artefacts from the Ongar and District War Memorial Hospital relating to the hospital's history have been taken into the care of the Ongar Millennium History Society which will put them on public display in coming months.