Spring Clean
Spring Clean
As part of this year’s Great British Spring Clean we spent a sunny morning in Luton Road with a spot of gardening.
Joined by friends and neighbours we tidied our roadside planters and prepared our flower baskets for a summer display.
It was a fantastic opportunity for local people to get to know each other, some of whom had not previously met, and we hope to repeat the community gardening day later this year.
Our continued efforts to green the grey in Chatham builds on the nine trees we planted in Luton Road, with a further 12 trees and soft landscaping planned through the second phase of Medway Council’s road casualty reduction scheme.
Laura Richardson Mural
Laura Richardson Mural
Continuing to reveal the hidden stories of Chatham through public art, this week saw our seventh mural painted.
Dublin-based artist Hixxy visited Medway for the first time to paint her abstract take on the story of Chatham resident, Laura Richardson.
Laura Richardson is thought to be the first woman to ride a bicycle through the streets of Kent. Her father, Charles John Hawkins, was among the pioneers of cycling and didn’t give up cycling until the age of 82. Her family lived here in Victoria Road and were friends with the famous novelist Charles Dickens.
Hixxy’s mural celebrates Laura’s spirit, highlighting how bicycles empowered women and prompted changes in fashion, replacing heavy skirts with practical bloomers for freedom and independence.
Located in Victoria Road, this mural wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Paulo Duarte Filipe, who kindly donated his wall.
If you have a wall or local story you’d like to have considered for future murals, please get in touch!
George Bond Mural
George Bond Mural
Continuing to reveal the hidden stories of Chatham through public art, this week saw our sixth mural painted.
Kent-based artist Luke Smile painted his vibrant typographic take on the phenomenal story of George Bond.
Bond was a prolific local architect and surveyor, responsible for designing dozens of buildings across Medway. Despite dying in 1914, his legacy lives on through his vast portfolio of beautiful and thoughtful buildings, ranging from the Brook Theatre to entire housing estates, and grand villas to shops along Luton Road. It is believed that All Saints Church in Magpie Hall Road was his final design before his death.
Luke Smile brought Bond’s story to life through his bespoke 3D letters, and in places turned the letters on their sides to give the impression of architecture, linking subtly to Bond himself.
Located behind the church, this mural wouldn’t have been possible without the support of St Paul with All Saints Church, who kindly donated the wall.
If you have a wall or local story you’d like to have considered for future murals, please get in touch!
Pet Shop Mural
Pet Shop Mural
Continuing to reveal the hidden stories of Chatham through public art, this week we saw our fifth mural painted.
Luxembourg artist Alain Welter visited Medway for the first time to paint his light-hearted take on The Pet Shop story.
From 1953 until 1961, 417-419 High Street by Luton Arches was home to a pet shop, aptly named ‘The Pet Shop’. Before a change of ownership, the previous shop owner had a pet Humboldt woolly monkey inside, climbing and jumping across the store.
Quite suddenly and unexpectedly, the shop owner, together with his wife, son and daughter, sailed from Chatham to the River Amazon on their sailing craft in search of more Humboldt monkeys, which he planned to sell to zoos for a handsome price. But in late 1961 there was still no information about their whereabouts, and to this day it remains unknown how their voyage fared.
Located on Henry Street, this mural wouldn’t have been possible without the support of mhs homes, the UK’s largest independent landlord, and their tenant who kindly donated the wall.
If you have a wall or local story you’d like to have considered for future murals, please get in touch!
Relocation of Driver Fountain
Relocation of Driver Fountain
Arches Local is delighted to bring a remarkable piece of Chatham’s heritage back to its rightful home in Luton on its 125th anniversary.
The fountain was originally installed at the Luton Arches in October 1899, donated by three-time mayor William Dawes Driver to celebrate the life of his late father, Joshua Driver – a successful merchant, local politician and helper of those in need.
Made of Peterhead red and Aberdeen blue granite, the fountain was designed not just to serve the townspeople but also their horses, featuring drinking basins and a trough. However, in 1961 the fountain was relocated to a forgotten corner of Chatham Cemetery due to plans to build a taxi rank in its place, which never came to fruition. Meanwhile, the trough was disposed of despite various claims otherwise.
The fountain’s return to Luton has been no simple feat, beginning over a decade ago with a simple news article to try and prompt action, but to no avail. Despite several false starts, this year Arches Local decided to make one final effort and approached the project with a fresh perspective. We commissioned Taylor Pearce, royal warrant-holding stonemasons, and Meristem Design, expert landscape designers, to bring this project to life.
Various relocation sites were considered, including its original location by the roundabout and a site by the pedestrian crossing on Chatham Hill, which was favoured by Medway Council during their relocation attempt some years ago. However, all options aside from the final chosen site proved unfeasible due to the extensive engineering works and implausible road closures necessary for safe reassembly.
During our disassembly we discovered that all of its plumbing was already removed and the cavities were backfilled with concrete. As a result, replumbing is no longer possible, even if we had wished to do so.
Through the fountain’s return to its rightful place, the legacy of both Joshua and William Driver will continue to be a part of Chatham’s story for generations to come. Relocating the historic Driver Fountain on its 125th anniversary is yet another step in our ongoing commitment to repairing Chatham’s urban landscape. We believe that our shared spaces should be places where nature thrives, culture is celebrated, and communities come together.
Photos: Jane Robb
Meristem Design Partnership
Meristem Design Partnership
We were pleased to welcome award-winning landscapers Meristem Design to transform our planted areas in Luton Road this week.
They were also joined by pupils of Luton Primary School who helped to bring this project to life.
Our community chose vibrant and road-tolerant species to provide seasonal colour and joy every year, while boosting biodiversity.
The new landscaping complements the nine trees we planted in Luton Road in recent years, building on our legacy of work to green the grey in Chatham.
This marks the start of an ongoing partnership with Meristem Design, through which we hope to work with them again on the Driver Fountain relocation and Phase 2 of the Luton Road casualty reduction scheme.
