BOARDED up and seemingly in danger of being submerged by the thick cocoon of ever-encroaching undergrowth, it hardly attracts a second glance.

For years the house has remained unoccupied and, like many other crumbling listed buildings across Hampshire, time seems to have long passed it by.

But Allbrook Farmhouse has harboured a hidden secret, which has sent ripples of excitement through the art world. Historians believe the Grade II listed building was once the home of Britain's first professional woman painter.

It was here, more than 400 years ago on the outskirts of Eastleigh, that Mary Beale, a prominent portraitist, is believed to have set up her studio.

The discovery was made half a century ago by a BBC researcher but the finding was never made public. It only came to light again recently during research carried out at the National Portrait Gallery.

Now the discovery of one of the few surviving studios of an artist from the pre-Georgian era is viewed by some as one of the country's most significant art-historical treasures.

The building has remained unoccupied for around 16 years. Last year the brewing firm Eldridge Pope, which originally had plans to turn it into a pub, sold it to a South Coast property company.

But its future is still far from clear. Mike Price from Poole-based Forrell Estates is hopeful the property can be sensitively restored to its former glory.

The link between the celebrated artist had come as a complete shock.

"We've only just found out and quite what that means for the future we don't really know," he said.

"It will take a considerable sum of money to bring it up to occupation standard. You would have to start from scratch internally."

He hopes the connection with Mary Beale will somehow be incorporated in the building's restoration. For the moment Allbrook Farmhouse is in the care of Wendy Skinner, the licensee of the Victoria Inn which is opposite the property in Twyford Road.

"It is such a peaceful place and I can imagine it must have been a lovely place to have a studio," she said.

"We had absolutely no idea that a famous artist used to live here. I think that in future there might be a lot of interest in the house. We'll just have to wait and see what they do with the building."

The Beales moved to Eastleigh in 1665, partly to avoid the plague in London. They bought Allbrook Farmhouse and stayed for six years before returning to Pall Mall.

Beale expert Helen Draper said she hoped the building could be turned into a museum in memory of the famous painter.

"Mary Beale was very successful in her day and had a large group of clients and painted hundreds of portraits."