Street Murals, Mosaics and Wall Art

Street Murals, Mosaics and Wall Art
Statues & Sculpture
Monuments and Memorials

The Axis Project Mural
Broadwalk House Mosaic
City Wall Garden Mosaic
Coombe Street Subway Mural
The Festival of Architecture Mural
Gandy Street Murals
Harlequins Ceramic
Henry VII - Eastgate House King William Carpark Walkway
Millennium Mosaic
Phoenix Plaque
St Sidwell Mural
The St Thomas Arches, Pigeon Mosaic
Smoking Dog Grotesque
Topsham News Mural
The 'Topshop' Mural in the High Street
Westgate Festival Mural

The Axis Project Mural

This mural is alongside the lane that runs between the Phoenix Arts Centre and Little Queen Street. It was a community project, produced by the Axis Project and Elaine Goodwin.

Broadwalk House Mosaic

This mosaic has been removed due to the princesshay redevelopment. This is one of three mosaics which hardly had a glance as they are at the entrance to the underground Broadgate House carpark. This one is the earliest and was created in 1994 by Elaine Goodwin. It borrows its theme from medieval Byzantine designs, depicting a fountain surrounded by doves, birds and a peacock. Similar designs can be found at the Tivoli in Rome and, in Galla Placidia, in Ravenna.

Elaine worked on Sundays because of the volume of cars entering the carpark in the week. It alludes to its position in a carpark by incorporating tiny round car reflectors in the fountain that reflect the light.

The Princesshay development has meant that this and two neighbouring mosaics have been removed to allow the entrance to the carpark to be closed. A workman informed me that one mosaic had to be broken up but two survived to be incorporated in the new development.

Also see City Wall Mosaic below.

City Wall Garden Mosaic

After completing the fountain mural at the entrance to Broadgate House carpark in 1994, two other Elaine Goodwin mosaics were added in 1995 at the entrance. Elaine was assisted by Rhonwen Vickers who worked on the borders.

The mosaics depict the Garden of Livia in Naples from the time of Augustus. They show the garden filled with colourful flowers, trees and a selection of birds. A bird was included in one panel as a tribute to a local, Ann who fed the local pigeons and who had just lost her pet rook.

The lower mosaic was situated on the side of the exit lane of the carpark and hardly catches a glance from passing traffic. The top mosaic was in a recess which contained a yellow sand box for treating the road in frosty weather - it is a shame that it is not more prominent.

The Princesshay development has meant that this and two neighbouring mosaics have been removed to allow the entrance to the carpark to be closed. A workman informed me that one mosaic had to be broken up but two survived, which maybe incorporated in the new development.

Also see the Broadwalk House Mosaic above.

Coombe Street Subway Mural

I have not been able to find out much about this subway mural, but it is included as it is one of the more interesting in style and content. It is very difficult to photograph because of its size and the fact that it continues under the subway from Coombe Street, under the Western Way to the top of Cricklepit Lane. The mural depicts a raging sea with two fishermen battling with a giant squid caught in their net. This is only one wall of the mural - the others also depict dramatic mythical scenes and monsters.

The Festival of Architecture Mural

This enigmatic mural is situated in Holloway Street on the end wall of the Backpackers Hostel. It was painted in 1985 by Andrew Stacey and Deborah Mitchell, for the Festival of Architecture in 1977.

A headline on the newspaper that theworker on the right is reading, alludes to a draught hitting the South West. The summer of 1977 produced a draught but my memory is not able to recall if 1985 also was draught stricken. The first signs of global warming perhaps!

Gandy Street Murals

This mural is one of a series painted on boarded-up windows at the High Street end of Gandy Street. The portraits depict Sir Thomas Bodley, Nicholas Hilliard (right), his father Richard Hilliard, Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. There are some extra murals further along the street depicting scenes of Exeter life. The portraits were painted by David Simpson in 1993 for the City Council and Exeter Civic Society and are based on the Tudor painter, Nicholas Hilliard's miniatures. Hilliard was born in Gandy Street.

It is a pity that the local graffiti artists (if that is a word that can be applied to their work) don't respect the public art of the city - Hilliard and his friends are often defaced by mindless and disrespectful scribblings.

Harlequins Ceramic

This rather striking ceramic can be found on the walkway between the Guildhall Centre and the Harlequins Centre. It consists of dozens of shaped pieces made with fired, coloured clay. The piece is not named but the contents are described thus:

Henry VII - Eastgate House

This modern figure by Miss Sonia Newton of Dunsford represents Henry VII - Henry had visited Exeter in 1497 to thank the city for its support during the rebellion of Perkin Warbeck. He presented his sword and cap of maintenance to the city which are now held in the Guildhall.

Eastgate was the main gate from the east in Roman times before the Southgate became the main entry. William the Conqueror entered the city in 1068 after an 18 day siege through the Eastgate. And it was from the Eastgate, that Perkin Warbeck was beaten back. The underground passages that carried water from St Sidwell's into the city ran across the front of the Eastgate and can still be visited.

Eastgate was demolished in 1784 and the original stone statue of Henry VII moved to a recess over Rowe and Sons in the High Street. It was lost in the blitz of 1942.

This statue was made by Sonia Newton in the early 1950's out of fibreglass. Since the demolition of Eastgate House, the statue has been removed and stored at Belle Isle. See 21st Century Exeter for photos of the present resting place of Henry. The new Princesshay has not seen the statue replaced.

King William Carpark Walkway

This two part (with additions), ceramic mural was created by Elaine M Goodwin and Group 5 in 1994. Decorating the walkway from Sidwell Street to the King William Carpark, it is inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry depicting William the Conqueror invading England in 1066 and approaching Exeter up what is now Longbrook Street in 1068.

One side of the mural depicts the story of King Harold up to just before the Battle of Hastings. The second long mural shows the Norman fleet departing France. At the end of the walkway, near the exit of the carpark are some large rectangular murals that show William being crowned as King on 25th December 1066 and Norman soldiers outside the walls of Exeter in 1068 during the seige of Exeter.

This is probably King Harold William crossing the Channel

Millennium Mosaic

Located in the Guildhall Centre, on a wall above the Pine Trading Shop, the Exeter, Millennium mosaic was unveiled to the public on the 9 September 2000 by Councillor Margaret Midgeley, chair of the Community Services Committee.

During 1999 a mosaic was created on the Express and Echo building in Sowton by the Devon Curriculum Services and Express & Echo Millennium Mosaic project. Its success led to plans being made for another mosaic for the Guildhall Shopping Centre. Local schools and community organisations, as well as members of the public were invited to decorate the thousand odd 10cm square by 2cm thick wooden blocks. Some would take a square of blocks and produce a larger design, while many were one off. The theme was "A moment in time in Exeter".

The blocks were sorted and then assembled in eleven bands of four blocks wide. The completed mosaic was then fixed to the end wall of the Pine Trading Shop.

Click for detail

Phoenix Plaque

This fine emblem can be found in Princesshay Lane. It shows a Phoenix rising from the flames and represents the rebuilding of Exeter after the blitz of April and May 1942. It was placed on another site, in the centre of the old Princesshay, in 1957 by Hughes Garage.

In 1946 Thomas Sharp presented a plan for the rebuilding of Exeter. His Exeter Phoenix plan was designed to retain the historic feel of the city while at the same time create a modern city to serve the needs of its post war people. The rebuilding of Princesshay and the High Street were complete, but much of the rest of his vision was never fulfilled.

The rebuilding commenced when Princess Elizabeth unveiled a plaque in Princesshay on 21st October 1949. All she could see of the new shopping precinct were pegs in the ground, laying out the position of the street and buildings. The north side of the High Street was complete by 1952, followed by Princesshay in the mid 1950's.

The plaque and the Commemorative Feature were both removed and stored while Princesshay was redeveloped.

Land Securities, the developers put a nicely restored Phoenix, on to a wall in Princesshay Lane, next to Topshop. At the time of writing, the Commemorative Plaque has not found a new home.

Princesshay Commemorative Plaque

St Sidwell Mural

This large, colourful sculpture/mural on the front of some shops, next to St Sidwells Church, depicts St Sidwella. During the Roman occupation, a wealthy British Romanized family lived in Exeter. The father, a Christian, died, leaving his young children in the care of a cruel stepmother.

One daughter Sidwella, was a pure, devout and beautiful girl who regularly prayed. Her father left her the bulk of his fortune, making the stepmother, you've guessed it, bitter and jealous. She plotted Sidwella's death.

As Sidwella knelt in silent prayer in a cornfield, the corn reaper, paid by her stepmother, crept up and cut off her head with a scythe. A spring of pure water appeared from the ground, where her head came to rest.

The piece, made of fibreglass, was created by Frederick Irving in 1969.

The St Thomas Arches,

Pigeon Mosaic

Dating from 1990, this mosaic is situated in the pedestrian tunnel under the St Thomas railway viaduct, next to Cowick Street. Sponsored by the City Council and British Rail it depicts both the GWR steam, and the modern High Speed Train era. On the right with the top hat is the figure of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the engineer who brought the railway to Exeter. St Thomas was the headquarters of South Devon Railway that built the atmospheric railway to Newton Abbot, and which turned out to be a brave failure.

On the extreme left is a dedication to Mary, a pigeon wounded in action, that won the Dicken Medal for services rendered in the last war. She was used to carry messages across the Channel, and despite being wounded three times, she always got through. The mural was created by Elaine M Goodwin and group 5. The 30 ft long mosaic is a little dirty, but in general good condition. You could spend a day counting the pigeons in the mural but if you don't have the time the answer is 91.

Click for full mural

Smoking Dog Grotesque

This has been included because it is fun. On the northern side of the cathedral is this rather fine grotesque of a hound smoking a pipe - it was carved by Peter Dare, a cathedral stonemason almost 20 years ago, when they were replacing the badly weathered grotesques on that side. It is based on a dog called Butch that frequented a pub in Exmouth in the 70's and 80's and enjoyed a pipe of tobacco along with its owner - whether it enjoyed a pint at the same time I cannot recall. It is little known, even to the Cathedral staff, and when I enquired there had been a debate about whether it was a cat, a Dean or a dog.   

There are two further grotesques, one of a bishop and one of Dido the Seagull, Exeter City's feathered mascot,which can also be foundon the north side of the cathedral. In the 1960's, Bishop Mortimer was a fervent Exeter City supporter, and it was said that the team always won when a seagull landed on the pitch. The Grecians could do with that seagull at the moment!  

Dido the Seagull

Topsham News Mural

This mural can be found at 53 Fore Street, Topsham. Called the Topsham News Mural, it was commissioned by Sue and Roger Bendell. It was painted in monochrome by Kathryn Wragg and based on old photographs of local salmon fishers. The property was a former newsagent before being purchased by the Bendell's in 1986. They also purchased E Osborne, the Topsham News at 97 Fore Street the same year.

The mural depicts salmon fishing in the Exe estuary, which was once a thriving industry on the river.

The 'Topshop' Mural 

High Street

Another mural this time in the middle of the High Street. No 229 appears to be an old building but in fact was built after the original old Jacobean shop was torn down in 1930 by the Saxone Shoe Company and sold to an American museum. The front facade has two Tudor style windows salvaged from a house that was demolished in North Street. The high Street widens at this point and a long row of 1950s style buildings continues up to Eastgate.   

The side of No 229 was a blank, cement rendered wall for many years until the City Council commissioned in 1991 a local artist to produce a mural to fill the space.

He created this Tudor house and balcony with the figures of Sir Thomas Bodley, Nicholas Hilliard and Princess Henrietta.
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Westgate Festival Mural

This large mural was painted in 1979 by Andrew Stacey to celebrate the Westgate Festival.

Notice how it continues beneath the level of New Bridge Street and depicts on the lower wall one of the leats that flowed past this part of the city, under the arch over which New Bridge Street runs and across Shilhay.

The property, which is the hairdresser, Joans, has recently been renovated and the mural has been given a face lift. The colours are more vibrant.