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| HER Number | MWB22805 |
|---|
| Record Type | Monument |
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| Name | Mosaic mural, A339 Greenham Road roundabout, Newbury |
|---|
Summary
Tiled mosaic of local sites and events, designed by St Bartholomew's School and unveiled in 1981 along the walls of part of a pedestrian underpass
Monument Type(s):
- MOSAIC (Late 20th century - Present - 1981 AD to 1981 AD)
- MURAL (Late 20th century - Present - 1981 AD to 1981 AD)
Full Description
A mosaic mural designed by St Bartholomew's School staff and pupils was installed on the south wall of a pedestrian path that lies below the junction of the A339 with St John's Road and Greenham Road in Newbury <1><2>. The mosaic is made of fired and glazed coloured panels, in shades of blue, black, brown and white. The slabs were assembled together to depict local landmarks, including Newbury's town hall, museum and clock tower, almshouses in Argyle Road, a canal bridge and the gatehouse of Donnington Castle <2>. Events associated with the area are also represented by a jockey at the racecourse, a hot air balloon and a Civil War solder, and logo of St Bartholomew's School is included <2>. A plaque notes that the mosaic was dedicated to the people of Newbury and was unveiled on 22 July 1981 <1>.
The subway is first depicted on the 6th Epoch Ordnance Survey mapping of 1982 <3>, after a dual carriageway had been built connecting Greenham Road with Pinchington Lane, east of the Sandleford Hospital. The route through Newbury was originally labelled at the A34 (T) but later renumbered as the A339. The junction where the mosaic wall was installed was subsequently given the local name of the 'Burger King Roundabout' after a nearby fast food restaurant. The pedestrian passageway runs beneath the roads but is not covered in the centre of the roundabout, so the artwork is in the open air.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Unknown. 2023. Tim's One Photograph a Day. https://www.onephotographaday.org.uk. 02/02/2023. 'Mosaic on Newbury Subway' taken on 24/08/2017. [Website / SWB150419]
https://www.onephotographaday.org.uk/mosaic-on-newbury-subway (Accessed on 02/02/2023) |
| <02> | 2001-. Google Earth Aerial Photographs and Street View Imagery. Aerial Photo. Local contributor, Imagery date 2/2021. [Photograph / SWB147297] |
| <03> | Ordnance Survey. 1966-1983. Ordnance Survey Epoch 6, 1:10,000. 1:10,000. 1982, Marked 'Subway'. [Map / SWB150434] |
Related Monuments
| MWB3473 | 12-26 Argyle Road, Newbury (formerly Jemmet's Almshouses and Raymond's Buildings) (Building) |
| MWB1545 | Donnington Castle (Monument) |
| MWB16450 | The Clock House (or Clock Tower), Speenhamland, Newbury (Building) |
| MWB15899 | Town Hall, Newbury (Building) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
None recordedIf you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.
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