When news reached me of a newly-painted mural being unveiled to brighten the way for pedestrians using a city subway l had to check back to remind myself of just how many years a group of local residents have campaigned to reach this point.
We’re talking about the Claverton Street underpass – which runs directly beneath the busy A36 and into town – where it meets a large roundabout and the turning up the A367 Wells Road.
Back in September 2015. Bath Newseum was running a story describing it as a ‘dismal gateway to Bath’ and the subject of a campaign – led by Helen Peter who’s the ‘Streetscape’ representative for the Widcombe Association – to get something done to improve it.
Move the clock forward to March 2019 and local residents from the SOS – Sort our Subway – were celebrating an extensive refurbishment by Bath and North East Somerset Council. It was the first significant overhaul of the subway since it opened in the 1960’s.
Helen told me then that people were being asked to submit artwork ideas for the subway on the theme of ‘Where the city meets the countryside’ and fund raising would begin to get those new and brighter surfaces complemented with the addition of a colourful mural.
After much dedicated work – and with the support of many sponsors – that artwork is being applied and here’s Helen to take up the story.
NB. Thanks to Richard Lucking for some of the mural painting shots!
Great work from Helen there to brighten up what was a really dismal underpass and make the walk home a lot more pleasant for many people. Let’s hope it also brings more people over to Widcombe and up to Alexander Park (the view is the best kept Bath secret). Well done to all!