A New mural in Shirehampton High Street, Bristol ‘Up with the Larks’
‘Up with the Larks’ Shirehampton’s mural designed and painted by Rob and Sophie Wheeler
This mural is part of a wider public art project commissioned by Bristol City Council as part of the City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal programme. The design is inspired by community engagement activities including surveys and workshops, as well as our own research and knowledge of the area.
Rob grew up in Shirehampton, and we regularly visit his parents in the village. We have long wanted to paint a mural in Shire which pays tribute to the fascinating history of the village, particularly the Public Hall (where we held our wedding party) and its connections to Napier Miles of Kingsweston House, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and the architect Bligh Bond.
The design features two larks flying upwards to the sky, in tribute to Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, regularly voted the nation’s favourite piece of classical music, and which had its first public performance in Shirehampton Public Hall in 1920.
The performance was organised and supported by the last squire of nearby Kingsweston House, Philip Napier Miles, who also donated the land and some money for the building of the hall in 1903, along with many other philanthropic actions in the local area. The fleur de lis featured at the top of our mural design formed part of the Miles coat of arms, and is also a reference to the local Scouts and Guides, which are central to the Shirehampton community.
The architect of the Public Hall was Frederick Bligh Bond, who was employed by Napier Miles on several local noteworthy buildings. His work forms an important part of the character of Shirehampton and Avonmouth. His style is often described as Queen Anne Revival, but both villages are also noted for the Arts and Crafts architecture, which connects beautifully to the influences behind our mural style.
We have incorporated several of Bligh Bond’s architectural features into the mural, particularly the ornate decor on the entrance to the Public Hall. We have also sampled shapes and patterns from the Victorian drinking fountain on the Green, visible from the mural wall, which was installed to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, as well as decorative patterns we found at Kingsweston House on a recent open day.
Also celebrated in the mural is the grand Wellingtonia, or Giant Sequoia, which grows next to the water fountain, and was planted in 1887 to celebrate Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
We have also included mistletoe, which is abundant in the tall trees along Shirehampton Road, and daffodils, which are seen lining the grass verges and the Green in spring time. Also featured are daisies, for the Daisy Field at Lamplighters Marsh, and a speckled wood butterfly. All of the species and places represented in the design were suggested by local people through the engagement survey.
The colour palette is muted and traditional, focussing on greens with yellows, browns, oranges and areas of shimmering copper (which is not possible to convey on the digital drawing). We have added highlights of sky blue and pink for contrast.
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