RIP Albert William Tarr

Albert William Tarr was born in East Anstey in 1880.  At the time of his death in 1935, he was living in East Anstey with his widowed mother Harriet.  He had been deaf and unable to speak since birth.  He became a tailor's assistant.  

On January 8th 1935 Albert Tarr was at Dulverton Railway Station in Brushford, waiting for a train to East Anstey.  Mrs Ivy Ellen Thomas of Coombe Head Cottage, Dulverton, was also at the station with her 4 year old son Robert John Thomas.  She and her son were crossing the railway line using the trolley crossing, rather than the footbridge at the other end of the station.  Mrs Thomas was laden with parcels, as she had just returned from a shopping trip to Tiverton.  Robert was dawdling behind her.  

The porter on the platform heard the whistle of an incoming train from Barnstaple and shouted at Mrs Thomas to hurry up. She turned to grab Robert, but then hesitated for a moment.  Albert Tarr realised that Mrs Thomas and Robert were about to be hit by the train, so he tried to save them. The train driver braked, but hit and killed all three of them instantly. 

Mr Leslie Sloman, who had returned from Tiverton on the same train as Mrs Thomas, also tried to grab Mrs Thomas, but he was able to jump back just in time and so wasn't hit by the train.

An inquest into the accident, was held in Dulverton on 10th January.  The verdict was Death by Misadventure.  The coroner was Mr G.P. Clarke. Both the train driver and the railway company were exonerated from blame.  However, the coroner recommended that the footbridge be moved nearer to the station entrance.

Copy of the memorial plaque in East Anstey Church

Waterrow Viaduct

The 4-span Waterrow Viaduct was built by the engineer Richard Hassard for the Devon and Somerset Railway (D&SR) 1871-3.  It carried the railway over the River Tone to the south of Waterrow.

The 43 mile long Devon and Somerset Railway connected Barnstaple to the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) at Norton Fitzwarren near Taunton.  The line opened in June 1871 from Norton Fitzwarren to Wiveliscombe.  The Wiveliscombe to Barnstaple section opened in November 1873.   The line had 14 stations, 4 tunnels and another viaduct at Castle Hill near Filleigh.   It was built as broad gauge and operated by the B&ER.

The D&SR was converted to standard gauge in May 1881.  The Great Western Railway (GWR) acquired the D&SR in 1901.  The GWR was nationalised and became part of British Railways in 1948.  Goods services on the Barnstaple to Norton Fitzwarren line were withdrawn in 1964 and the line closed to passenger trains in October 1966, as part of the Beeching cuts.

The Waterrow Viaduct is also known as the Venn Cross Viaduct or the Tone Viaduct.   It had three tapered stone piers and stone abutments at either end.  These supported a continuous wrought iron lattice girder, which had a bridge deck above and a maintenance deck below.  The viaduct was 148 metres long and 31 metres above the valley floor.  The lattice girder was removed in the 1970s, but the 3 piers and the 2 abutments remain.  The central and eastern pier and the eastern abutment can be viewed from a public footpath through the Hurstone Local Nature Reserve.

The Castle Hill Viaduct over the River Bray was similar in design to the Waterrow Viaduct, but it had 6 spans.   Its pillars are still in use today, as they carry the North Devon Link Road (A361), which opened in 1988.

Eastern and central piers

Eastern pier

Eastern abutment in summer

Eastern abutment in winter

Eastern and central piers in winter

Eastern and central piers on a sunnier day

Central pier

Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway

The Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway ran from Ashcombe Road in Weston-super-Mare to Portishead via Worle, Wick St Lawrence, Clevedon and Walton-in-Gordano.  

A single track branch line from the Great Western Railway at Weston Junction to Weston-super-Mare opened in June 1841 and another from the GWR at Yatton to Clevedon opened in July 1847.  A branch line from Bedminster to Portishead opened in 1867.  A loop line from the main GWR line opened in March 1884 to serve Weston-super-Mare.  However there was no direct link between the growing towns of Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon and Portishead.  

A railway line from Portishead to Clevedon was first proposed in 1865.  In 1884 the Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon & Portishead Tramways Company proposed building a standard gauge tramway to link the three towns.   The Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon & Portishead Tramways Act was passed in August 1885, but work on the Weston-super-Mare to Clevedon section didn't begin until 1887, due to financial and legal problems.  

The original plan was to run from Weston-super-Mare town centre on the street along the Boulevard.   However the track along the Boulevard was taken up before the line opened, due to complaints from the local council and the terminus station in Weston-super-Mare was at Ashcombe Road.  

The 5 years allowed by the 1885 act for the completion of the line expired in 1890 and another act had to be passed to allow a time extension.  The line finally opened from Ashcombe Road to Clevedon on 1st December 1897.  In 1899 the tramway was designated a light railway and the name of the company was changed to the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway Company.

The extension to Portishead was delayed due to financial constraints and finally opened on 7th August 1907.  There were objections to the extension because the line had to run through the streets in Clevedon.

The 14 mile long line was a standard gauge light railway.  It had 19 stations, but most of them were only halts, with no platforms and only a hut for shelter.  

There was no connection with the main railway line at Weston-super-Mare.  It did connect to the Bristol to Portishead branch via a siding at Portishead and it was also connected to the Great Western Railway's Yatton to Clevedon branch at Clevedon for a few years by a very sharp radius link. 

The WC&PR served Conygar, Nightingale and Black Rock Quarries in the Gordano valley and they each had their own sidings. The gasworks at Clevedon and a nail factory in Portishead also had their own sidings off the WC&PR.  In about 1913 a short branch line was constructed to a wharf on the River Yeo at Wick St Lawrence.

Colonel Holman Frederick Stephens managed the WC&PR from 1911 until his death in 1931.  He was based at Tonbridge in Kent and was known as the Light Railway King, because he also ran several other similar railways.  William Henry Austen was the manager from 1931 until 1940.

In 1919 the WC&PR started to manufacture and use concrete sleepers to replace worn out wooden ones. Concrete sleepers were not widely used by other British railway companies until after the Second World War.  In 1921 the company bought its first petrol railcar.

The WC&PR operated on a shoestring and was rarely profitable.  Most of the engines and carriages used on the line were bought second-hand from other railways.  Only two engines were bought new.

The increasing importance of road transport in the 1930s and the decrease in output from Black Rock Quarry made the line even less profitable and it finally closed on 18th May 1940.  The track was taken up between October 1942 and the end of 1943.

Map of the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway

Archway that linked the High Street to the station in Portishead

Former railway offices on Ashcombe Road, Weston-super-Mare

Former trackbed of the railway at Weston-in-Gordano

Colonel Stephens Way, Weston-super-Mare

WC&PR steam engine mural, Salthouse Fields, Clevedon

This mural was painted by local artist Damien Jeffrey.

 

WC&PR steam engine, Station Road, Clevedon

This mural was painted by Damien Jeffrey in 2019.  It was commissioned by Clevedon BID.

Further Reading: 

Maggs, Colin G: The Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway. The Oakwood Press, 1990

Teddy Bear Crossing on the West Somerset Railway

Teddy Bear Crossing is located half a mile east of Williton, where a footpath between Torweston Farm and Sampford Mill Farm crosses the West Somerset Railway.  An assortment of teddy bears have been tied to a metal pole.  They have been there for some years and when I visited in February 2024 they were looking very bedraggled.   No one seems to know who started putting them there or when.  The selection of teddies has varied over the years and I understand that occasionally someone (West Somerset Railway staff or volunteers?) carries out a cull of the most worn out bears.  One of the current bears was put there in memory of steam enthusiast Ray Harvey, who died on 2nd April 2016.

Teddy Bear Crossing, February 2024

Teddy Bear Crossing, February 2024

Teddy Bear in memory of Ray Harvey

Dandy - Weston-super-Mare Railway Station’s Charity Collection Dog

One day in around 1923 a stray spaniel wandered into Weston-super-Mare Railway Station.  He was adopted by the staff who worked there. They named him Dandy, provided him with a kennel and put a charity collection box around his neck.  He spent the next five years mingling with people on the station platforms.  By the time he died on 16^th January 1928, he had raised many hundreds of pounds for the GWR Widows and Orphans Fund.  He was buried at the end of one of the platforms. 

A memorial plaque to Dandy can still be seen mounted on the wall in the waiting room at the railway station.

Dandy the Spaniel

Dandy's Memorial Plaque

Swing Bridge, Bow Street, Langport

Outside the former Railway Hotel on the west side of the River Parrett in Bow Street, Langport Westover, there is a very unusual iron swing footbridge.  

Until 1853, when the railway line from Durston to Yeovil via Langport was built, the turnpike road through Langport went past the door of the hotel, which was a pub at this time.  However the level of the turnpike road (now the A378) had to be raised so that it could cross over the railway line, which ran in a NNW-SSE direction.  The road was slightly re-aligned and embanked from the west end of Bow Bridge and a vertical stone retaining wall was built on the northern side of the embankment. The original turnpike road then became an access road to warehouses on the west side of the pub.  

The Railway Hotel was built in 1906 on the site of an earlier pub, which had burnt down.  It was decided to have the main door on the first floor, which was roughly level with the pavement of the raised main road.  However a fixed bridge would have been too low for vehicles using the access road to pass underneath it and there wasn't enough space for a conventional swing bridge.  A swing bridge comprised of two sections, which swing and close together like scissors, was the solution.  The bridge was opened and closed using a hand crank.  It is no longer in use.  The hotel was converted into six flats in the late 1980s.

Swing bridge, Bow Street, Langport

Swing bridge mechanism

Door on the first floor of the former Railway Hotel, Langport

Magnificent Murals

Murals brighten up our towns and villages.  Some have been painted by professional artists, others by students, self-taught artists or school children. 

My favourite mural is the one on the side of the Trading Post Shop at Lopen, which incorporates the Railway Carriage Café next door beautifully.  It really seems as if you are looking down a railway platform.  The mural was painted in 2013 by 24 year old local artist Camilla Yuill.

The Trading Post, Lopen

The Trading Post, Railway Carriage Café, Lopen

Sweep it under the carpet?

Eleos Café, 28 Fore Street, Chard

Quarry in the Mendips

I'm not entirely sure what this mural is meant to be of but I thought it was worth a photo.





King Size, Haydon Road,Taunton

I thought for a while it said King Sue but I think it is King Size!

We Will Remember Them

The King Size mural in Haydon Road, Taunton was replaced in November 2018 by this excellent mural to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War

We Will Remember Them, Haydon Road, Taunton

The Dolphin Pub, North Street, Wellington

The Dolphin Pub, North Street, Wellington

Larger than life otter, Tower Lane, Taunton

NB: He has disappeared since I took this photo - well otters do tend to be rather elusive!

Weston-Super-Mare has a large number of street art paintings, many of them painted by JPS (aka Jamie Scanlon) and a female street artist called Fawn.  There are so many that Visit Weston have produced an art trail leaflet featuring many of them.  I have yet to visit most of them but here are a few of them:

Tabby cat, Weston-Super-Mare

Sonic Boom by JPS, Colonel Stephens Way, Weston-super-Mare

Fawn by Fawn, Weston-Super-Mare

Terminator, Scally's Pub, Carlton Street

Balloon Girl, Scally's Pub, Carlton Street

Better than a Bear Wall, Richmond Street

Painted on a Dark Knight

Dangermouse - this is tiny and painted at the bottom of a pillar box on Marine Parade

 Gogo Girl, Greenfield Place
This painting originally made more sense, as there was a real chain across the front of the shop.  However the shop appears to have closed down.

Cat - in a shelter near Birnbeck Pier

Angel, Loves Café, West Street

Yoda, Weston Indoor Market, High Street

Ewok, Weston Indoor Market High Street

Hovercraft, Relish Café & Bar, West Street - this is tiny

Welcome to Dismaland, Relish Café & Bar, West Street

Relish Café & Bar, West Street - another tiny painting

Helicopter, Relish Café & Bar, West Street

Upturned police car, High Street

This painting is tiny

Corpse Bride, MT Games, Meadow Street

Predator, MT Games, Meadow Street

I wonder if he enjoyed his Costa takeaway coffee? 

Freddie Kruger, Burlington Street

Dark Wednesday, Cat and Spider at Behind Bars, Meadow Street

Spider, Behind Bars, Meadow Street

Balloon Girl, Alma Street

Tortoise and Pizza, Gloucester Street

Students on an Extension Studies course painted a wall in Knightstone Road, Weston-super-Mare in c2011.  The Paintjam Mural is very long and is a beach scene, which features some famous people from Weston-super-Mare e.g. Jeffrey Archer, John Cleese and Roald Dahl's BFG.

Jeffrey Archer and lifeboat on the Paintjam Mural

Paintjam Mural, Knightstone Road

John Cleese on Weston Pier

John Cleese and Jeffrey Archer

Paintjam Mural featuring Roald Dahl's BFG, Weston-Super-Mare

Soldier, Banwell

Portishead Lido

Portishead Open Air Swimming Pool

Dunster Village, Dunster Underpass

Dunster Castle, Dunster Underpass

Giraffic Park Bus Stop, Brean

Giraffic Park Bus Stop, Brean

Goddess Hall, Benedict Street, Glastonbury

Mural by Faye Suzannah in Beckery Road, Glastonbury

Parish churches of Street and its twin towns Notre Dame de Gravenchon in France and Isny im Allgau in Germany 

Map of Street showing places of interest in Street,      Leigh Road, Street

Clark's shoemaker, Leigh Road, Street

I noticed on a visit in December 2023 that the above murals in Leigh Road, Street are no longer there.  They have been replaced by the ones shown below.  These were commissioned by Street Parish Council, Street Library Trust and Mendip District Council.  They were painted by Jon Minshull and were unveiled in May 2022.

Shoemaking and Hay Harvesting

The left hand panel depicts the inside of C&J Clark's shoemaking factory in Street 1900-1910.  The right hand panel shows hay harvesting in Street 1860-1880.

Fossils in Quarry and Peat Cutting

The left hand panel depict the discovery of ichthyosaur fossils at one of the Street blue lias limestone quarries in the 1850s.  The right hand panel shows peat harvesting on the Somerset levels c1900.

Mural showing one of Street's twin towns?

Paddington Trust Farm, Glastonbury

Northload Street, Glastonbury

This mural, which features various Glastonbury landmarks and legends, has proved to be very controversial.  In 2015 homeowner Bill Knight commissioned a group of local artists to paint a mural on the side of his house, as he was fed up of graffiti being sprayed on it.  However his house is a listed building and Mendip Council initially refused retrospective planning permission for it, due to its colours, size and style.  3,500 people signed a petition asking for it to be allowed to stay and in August 2016 the council agreed that it could remain there for two years, after which time the case will be reviewed (it was still there in February 2025).  I like it: it is very Glastonbury!

In 2016 the grey concrete harbour wall of Watchet's Old Mineral Yard Car Park was brightened up with a giant mural depicting scenes from Watchet's history.  Watchet Arts Group had applied for a £21,000 grant from the Hinkley Point Community Impact Mitigation Fund to transform the harbour wall in to a heritage mural. but their application was turned down, so they invited self-taught local artist Pat Dennis to paint it.  The mural is 5 metres high and 30 metres long. The idea for the mural came from the late Tim Prior, who was formerly chairman of Watchet Arts Group.

Watchet Arts Group - Harbour Wall Mural

Railway at Watchet

Under sea creatures

St Decuman's Church, the Domesday Book and the Vikings

Watchet's maritime heritage

Iron Mines in the Brendon Hills

The Ancient Mariner's albatross merges with the real blue sky

Lady on Watchet Harbour wall

Nautical and agricultural mural on the garden wall of Esplanade House, Watchet

This mural was commissioned by Watchet Art Group and painted by local artist Pat Dennis in 2019.  

Esplanade House mural, Watchet

Watchet seafront

Under the sea mural on the Watchet Brownie and Guide HQ

Perchance to Dream Mural, The Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton

Mural in Manor House Road, Glastonbury by The Krumble Empire (Kim van Coels) and Sophie Alexi

Other end of the Manor House Road Mural, Glastonbury

 I couldn't get a better photo due to parked cars.

Adam & Eve by Frank Harwood, St Benedict's Close, Glastonbury

Moonlit Landscape by Xenz, Benedict Street, Glastonbury

Dahlias by Jon Minshull, Heart of the Tribe, High Street, Glastonbury

Globe Inn by Oksana Gaidasheva, Abbey Park Walk, Glastonbury

Bromeliads by Faye Suzannah, High Street, Glastonbury

Pilgrimage by Jon Minshull

This mural, which was painted in 2022, is located in the garden of the Royal Magdalene Almshouses, Glastonbury.

Giraffe by Jon Minshull, Meare

This mural was painted in January 2025.

A mural celebrating Bridgwater's history was completed in November 2017.  It was painted by local artist Rachel Gundry, with help from local residents.  It is located on the Broadway side of Blake Gardens, just to the south of the underpass.





Bridgwater Carnival

Admiral Blake, Blake Gardens, Town Hall and Town Bridge

Cornhill and St Mary's Church, Bridgwater

Skateboarder on the ramp access to the Red Brick Building, Beckery, Glastonbury by JPS

Facebook mural by Fawn - on the side of the Red Brick Building, Beckery, Glastonbury

(hanging out your dirty washing perhaps?)

Mural on a disused building adjacent to the Red Brick Building, Beckery, Glastonbury

Wildlife mural under the Tangier Way bridge, which crosses the River Tone in the centre of Taunton 

This section depicts French Weir, the willow cathedral, an egret, a water vole, an otter and some fish

Tangier Way bridge wildlife mural showing the old town bridge, another otter and a pair of mallard ducks

Cricket meets recycling!

Mural on the side of the Viridor offices in Priory Bridge Road, Taunton

Canal mural at Maunsel Lock on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal

The Willow Man and Glastonbury Tor on a "temporary" mural Castle Street/Tangier Way Taunton 

Dunster Castle and the West Somerset Railway on the "temporary" mural wall in Castle Street/Tangier Way, Taunton

Taunton Marathon mural - Castle Street/Tangier Way, Taunton

Unofficial? mural under the Trenchard Way River Tone bridge

Magpie's Nest shop, Benedict Street, Glastonbury

Magpie's Nest shop, Benedict Street, Glastonbury

Wildwood mural, just off Glastonbury High Street

Stik Mural, just off Glastonbury High Street

Hares' Moon, Hill Head, Glastonbury

North Street, Wiveliscombe

Rainbow Walkway, Goodland Gardens, Taunton

Decorated shipping container next to Fiddington Church

Shipping Container, Fiddington Church

Cow mural, Great Elm

Giant flower mural on the side of a house at Stathe Farm, to the south east of Burrowbridge

Mural depicting  Watchet Harbour in Anchor Street, Watchet

Kingsmead School, Wiveliscombe

This mural, which is on display outside the science block at Kingsmead school was painted in 2019 by year 8 art students, as part of their Challenge Week.  It focusses on the school's core values of Aspiration, Care, Respect and Determination. The images represent every subject and support area available to students at the school.  It is 16 feet high and 12 feet wide.

Otter, French Weir, Taunton

Foot & Gait Clinic, Bridge Street, Taunton

Foot and Gait Clinic, Bridge Street, Taunton

Orange tree mural, The Quarter Restaurant, Lower Middle Street, Taunton

Wellington themed mural, Courtfields School, Wellington

This mural features various Wellington landmarks, including the water towers, monument, former mills, Wellesley Cinema and the fire station

Queen Elizabeth II mural, pedestrian bridge over the railway line, Station Road, Wellington

This colourful mural was commissioned by Wellington Town Council from Taunton based Aerosol Art to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.  It features key events that took place during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, including Concorde, the Moon landings, the opening of the Channel Tunnel, the cloning of Dolly the sheep, the death of Princess Diana, the marriage of William and Kate, the 2012 London Olympics and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Beatles Abbey Road album

Concorde and the Moon Landings

The release from prison of Nelson Mandela, the opening of the Channel Tunnel and Spice Girls' Girl Power

The cloning of Dolly the sheep

Golden Jubilee 2002 and the marriage of William & Kate

London Olympics and the Covid-19 pandemic

Platinum Jubilee 2022

East Reach, Taunton

Triptych Mural, North Street, Wiveliscombe

Cockerel by Irony, Sultan's Kebab House, Weston-super-Mare

This was painted for the Weston Wallz Project 2021

Mural by Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-mare

This was painted for the Weston Wallz Project 2021

Flamingo by Sian Storey, Oxford Corner Cafe, Weston-super-Mare

This was painted for the Weston Wallz Project 2022

Seals & goldfish by Curtis Hylton, Oxford Corner, Weston-super-Mare

This was painted for Weston Wallz Project 2022.  I think the seals look more like sea lions.

Let it Shine by Mishfit, Knightstone Island, Weston-super-Mare

This was painted for the Weston Wallz Project 2023

Cheshire Cat? by Vza, back of the RNLI shop, Weston-super-Mare

Red Arrows mural, North Petherton Memorial Park

Keep Calm and Carry On mural, North Petherton Memorial Park

It's a shame about the spelling mistake!

Luttrell Arms, Dunster

Mother Nature, Orchard Multi-storey Car Park, Paul Street, Taunton

This mural was spray-painted by Sam Gaden of Aerosol Art in June 2024 as part of a project by Go Create and Rights Community Action.

Snowdon Hill Toll House, Bath Street, Chard

I presume the initials painted on the right hand side are those of the artists?

Forefront Community Centre & Church, Fore Street, Chard

John Stringfellow's triplane is shown at the top.

Forefront Community Centre, Fore Street, Chard

This mural was painted by Jordon Lauder from The Mural Company in 2023.

Isaiah Ch40 v31 "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

George Street, Taunton

This was painted by Sam Gaden of Aerosol Art.

Woolavington Bus Stop

This mural was designed and painted by Karon Woodward in 2020.

The following quartet of murals were created by Sam of Aerosol Art for Taunton Independent Quarter:

Flower mural, Lower Middle Street, Taunton

Vines and wines!

 The Little Wine Shop, Social Wine Bar & Tapas, Riverside Place, Taunton

Nicky's Flower Studio, Foundry Road, Taunton

Gulls eating chips

Howards Fish and Chips shop, St James Street, Taunton

Taunton Pride, Debenhams, North Street

Pickney Farm Alpacas

Pickney Farm Alpacas

Spanish dancer, Bath Place, Taunton

Same door in Bath Place, Taunton, October 2025

The Spanish lady has been replaced with a scene, which is more in keeping with the restaurant to which the door belongs - Islands serves Caribbean food.

Victoria Gate Public House, Taunton

High Street, Taunton

I think this mural looks a bit like a Clarice Cliff design.

RNLI Mural, Burnham-on-Sea

This was painted by Aidan Ryan in 2022.

"Hope Springs Eternal", High Street, Burnham-on-Sea

This was painted by local artist Damian Nicholson in 2022.

Chameleon eating an ice cream, Burnham-on-Sea

Congresbury Youth Partnership building

Strawberry Line, Yatton Railway Station

This mural was painted by Clevedon based artist Damien Jeffery and was unveiled in January 2023.  It features a siskin, a kingfisher, strawberries, apples, a GWR steam train, a spaniel and a bicycle. It is painted on a container belonging to Strawberry Line Cycle Hire.

Strawberry Line, Yatton Railway Station

Orca and Turtle, Knightstone Road, Weston-super-Mare

This mural was painted by Martin Darcy.

Fragile, Lower Church Road, Weston-super-Mare

This was painted on the side wall of The Strange Catch by My Dog Sighs as part of the 2023 Weston Wallz.

Great tit and chips by Aspire, Station Road, Weston-super-Mare

Hatcher's, Taunton

This mural in Pig Market Lane was painted in April 2025 by Sam Gaden of Aerosol Art to mark Hatcher's 250th anniversary.  The company was founded as a drapery business in 1775 by William Hatcher.

East Quay, Watchet

East Quay, Watchet

Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway, Salthouse Fields, Clevedon

Salthouse Fields, Clevedon

This mural was painted by local artist Damien Jeffrey.  It features Clevedon Pier, clocktower, bandstand and a steam engine from the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway.

Kingfisher mural, High Street, Midsomer Norton

This mural was painted by Andy Council in 2025.

Dave Ilsley and his dog Penny, Lynton Road,       

Burnham-on-Sea

Mr Ilsley lived in Burnham-on-Sea and was a member of many local groups.  He died in 2020.  This mural of him was painted by Diff, a street artist from Bristol, in 2021.

Eastover Shopping Centre, Bridgwater

This mural, which was painted in June 2025, was designed with input from local residents. It depicts scenes connected to Bridgwater's history and its carnival.  It was painted by Bristol artist Tom Sledmore.

Eastover Shopping Centre

Brick Mural, Bridgwater

Brick Mural, Bridgwater

This patchwork of brightly painted bricks at the junction of St John Street and Broadway in Bridgwater, was created by local community groups and individuals in July 2025.  There are around 2,300 painted bricks. It was organised by the Brick Project Community Interest Company and was funded through the Bridgwater Town Deal.

The Bird in Hand pub, North Curry

This was painted by Aerosol Art in July 2025.

Canal Mural, West Street Garden, Bridgwater

This mural was designed by Madeline Rossiter from Haygrove School.  It was painted in June 2015 by an art teacher and pupils from Haygrove and other local school.  Tex Freeman, a local policeman, created the garden in 2014 and organised the mural project.

Fairground Mural, West Street Garden, Bridgwater

This mural was sponsored by the Showmen's Guild and was painted by local school children in 2014.

Victoria Park, Frome

This mural, which was commissioned by Frome Town Council in late 2025, depicts bees pollinating flowers and plants.  It was painted by aerosol artist Jody Thomas, who is based in Bristol.

Polsham Bus Stop by Jon Minshull

Draycott Bus Stop

This mural was painted by Jon Minshull in August 2026.  It depicts scenes of village life, including strawberry cultivation and a steam train on the Strawberry Line.  Glastonbury Tor can be seen in the distance.

Draycott Bus Stop

Draycott Bus Stop

Stileway Bus Stop near Meare

This bus stop was also painted by Jon Minshull in May 2026.  He painted it for Muriel Baker, whose father persuaded the local council to build it for school children to wait in some years ago.  It depicts lots of sheep and a stile.

Stileway Bus Stop

Stileway Bus Stop

Farmhouse at Stileway

Milking time

The meter boxes are disguised as crates.

Cows and a stile at Stileway

Geese and chickens at Stileway