Heritage of London Trust saves post-war murals in Lewisham

The Heritage of London Trust led a restoration of two William Mitchell murals on the Foxborough estate in Ladywell, involving 240 young people through its Proud Places programme, and the restored works were unveiled with local children and community on 17 December.

The Heritage of London Trust has completed a restoration of two post-war murals by sculptor William Mitchell on the Foxborough estate in Ladywell. The project formed part of HOLT's Proud Places youth engagement programme and involved local pupils and conservators working together. Children met conservators, learned about conservation techniques and assisted with painting one of the murals. The restored murals were unveiled to the community on 17 December. Restoration details: - The project involved around 240 young people through HOLT's Proud Places programme. - Pupils from Beecroft Garden Primary School met conservators and took part in painting the concrete mural during visits. - One mural is a mosaic made from offcuts of wood and pieces of old furniture such as banisters, picture frames and floorboards fixed to a baseboard. - The other mural was made from concrete poured into a clay matrix and was painted in bright colours in later decades. - The unveiling on 17 December included speeches by HOLT director Dr Nicola Stacey, Councillor Jacqueline Paschoud, John Keidan of the Foxborough Gardens Tenants' and Residents Association, and two pupils from Beecroft Garden Primary School, with ribbon cutting performed by Cllr Jacqueline Paschoud and the two pupils. Summary: The work has conserved two examples of post-war public art and engaged local children and community members in the restoration process. Undetermined at this time.