22 Aug 2024
The tired old mural in Harpenden’s Station Road underpass has undergone a dramatic transformation into a celebration of the town’s rich history.
Thanks to Herts county council, the walls of the subway have been illuminated with images representing people and places from throughout the ages, created by a team of 19 different artists from the company MurWalls.
These officially licensed street artists each brought their own unique skills and styles to the project.
Some of the highlights include comedian Eric Morecambe, actress Ellen Terry, Paralympian David Clarke and Olympian Phoebe Gill, and the rugby-playing Farrell brothers.
An illustrated information board, designed by Alison Bourke in collaboration with the Harpenden Local History Society, located opposite Carlton Road, reflects on many other aspects of the town’s past.
This includes information on George Aylwin Hogg (1915-1945), a former head boy of St George’s School, who became a hero in China after saving 60 orphaned boys by leading them 700 miles to set up a new school during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Did you know that the Duke of Cambridge, Queen Victoria’s cousin, passed through Harpenden in July 1894 on his way to Childwickbury, receiving a huge welcome at Harpenden station? In 1717 Harpenden was mentioned in a petition to Parliament as somewhere where men, women and children made straw plait, with the youngsters taught to read in plait schools.
The mural is set to be officially opened by David Clarke and a representative from the Morecambe family this Thursday afternoon.
