Graffiti artwork in Ketley with nostalgic twist
Bold new artwork has brightened up a railway bridge in Ketley in a bid to address safety concerns.
The colourful two-sided mural, created by local graffiti artist Neil Willis from ‘Auniqueart’, shows the area’s history with a steam train as the centre piece.
It was commissioned by Councillors Eileen Callear and Amrik Jhawar with a contribution from their Pride Fund, and Telford & Wrekin Council’s Safer & Stronger Communities project.
The aim is to help people feel safer, removing anti-social graffiti, giving the area an uplift and deterring vandals. An underpass and signal boxes in Leegomery have already undergone a similar transformation which have been positively received by residents.
Councillor Paul Watling (Labour), Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities said:
“This commissioned artwork by the Safer & Stronger project is a positive contribution to making a difference here.
“The new artwork is by a respected graffiti artist and replace a bridge previously used as a hotspot for ‘tagging’ a technique of spraying initials creating an eye sore and a place for anti-social behaviour to gather. “Now the bridge is a tribute to the area’s history and a piece of art people can enjoy and take pride in. hopefully deterring some of the unwanted behaviour.”
The railway line opened in May 1857, initially for freight to Ketley Ironworks, and then for passengers in 1859 before closing for good in 1964.
Robert Bamford from the Ketley Historic Society said: “There are a couple of historic photographs of the line but all the ones in existence seem to be around Ketley Station which was situated next to where the Ping Hong Chinese takeaway is now.”
The Safer & Stronger Communities project is led by Telford & Wrekin Council with support from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), John Campion. More that £2m will be invested into issues concerning safety and ways to build community groups with an additional £500K from the PCC, over the next two years.
