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Vibrant murals unveiled to brighten walkway

Kayleigh Barker
BBC News, Wiltshire
BBC A woman stands in front of a mural with butterfly wings, dull red flowers and smaller green leaves in backgroundBBC
Artist Samantha Redmill said the response to the murals had been "really positive"

A series of colourful murals painted by a local artist and teacher have been unveiled in a "forgotten" Salisbury alleyway.

The Pepys' Walk Mural was created by Samantha Redmill with help from children at Bishop Wordsworth's School, where she teaches.

Ms Redmill said "I did it because I wanted to change the atmosphere of this walkway. It feels amazing, really incredible."

Ms Redmill gave up her time and painted the murals for free over 18 months, with funding for materials supplied by Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID).

A woman with dark hair stands in front of two murals either side of a brick partition. On the left, a blooming poppy with smaller flowers around it and on the right, a sunflower and a bright orange circle with a green plant in front of it.
The murals were funded by the BID, with CEO Ellie Burke praising them for "brightening up a forgotten alleyway"

The unveiling, at Old George Mall in the city centre, was attended by local MP John Glen and the CEO of Salisbury BID Ellie Burke.

Ms Burke said the art project, which cost "a few thousand pounds", was a real community effort.

"It's been a collaboration since the start," she said. "Sam has had help from the kids at Bishop Wordsworth's School and it's lovely to walk past it every day and see a representation of our community and our creative spirit."

A colourful mural with a bright red butterfly with black spot, a purple plant with ladybirds and beetles on it, a yellow flower with thin petals and various other flora.

Ms Redmill said she was lucky to have such an opportunity.

"Fortunately they gave me free rein with what I could do. It's an amalgamation of everything going on in my head. Lots of different compositions of things that I've seen, some of them are made-up flowers," she said.

A close up view of a mural with blue, purple and orange plants, a yellow plant cone and a prominent iridescent beetle in the centre.
A mural of a red poppy in bloom with a variety of flowers and leaves making up the design.

Ms Redmill said it had been an ongoing project for a year and a half.

"Fortunately the school were very kind and gave me a half day to bring students down," she said.

"I've been doing it on my days off basically – one half day a week for a year and a half.

"It feels amazing, really incredible."

A mural on a wall showing a bright yellow flower next to a tall purple plant with multiple petals and a red butterfly on the far left

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