Bespoke mural celebrating area's mining heritage painted in Stanton Hill

A spectacular bespoke mural which celebrates Ashfield’s proud industrial heritage has been painted on the back of the Co-op in Stanton Hill.

Commissioned by Ashfield District Council, the striking artwork celebrates the area’s history whilst looking towards the future.

The mural was designed by Nottingham-based artist Anthony Donnelly, of Urban Canvas, and hand-painted by Anthony alongside Pleasley artist Stephen Malcolm.

“From the beginning, I wanted this mural to feel as though it genuinely belonged here,” said Mr Donnelly. “The community consultation and research gave me a real sense of the history and identity we needed to celebrate in the design.

“Including Stephen’s grandfather’s lamp gave us something particularly special. It isn’t simply an image of a miner’s lamp; it has a real story and a direct connection to the mine and to someone working on the mural today.

“Stephen has worked alongside me painting the mural, so having that connection running through the artwork gives the project an extra bit of soul. It represents what I wanted the mural to be about: local history being remembered and carried forward by people who still have a connection to it.

“We’ve had some lovely conversations with members of the local community while working on the wall, which has made the project even more special.”

For Stephen, helping to paint a mural featuring an object once used by his own grandfather has added another layer of meaning to the project.

He said: “It’s been really special to work on this mural and that my grandfather’s lamp has become part of the design as he worked at the local pit in Shirebrook as well as Warsop Colliery.

“Having the opportunity to paint his lamp at this scale and celebrate this piece of our family history means lot to me.”

The mural is one of four currently being planned across Ashfield with locations to be confirmed closer to the time of painting.