Clapton ‘eyesore’ unrecognisable as vibrant new mural celebrates ‘nature and community spirit’

The mural has transformed the walkway linking Lower Clapton and Hackney Marshes. Photograph: Pau Ros

A new mural has been unveiled outside Clapton Park children’s centre, transforming a ‘neglected’ part of Lower Clapton from an ‘eyesore’ into a ‘celebration of Hackney’s nature and community spirit’.

The artwork has given the fence beside the Daubeney Road footbridge – a popular walkway connecting the area to Hackney Marshes – a new lease of life.

Hackney resident Adam Cochrane dreamed up the idea last year and crowdfunded to bring the project to life.

He told the Citizen: “Every day when the kids walked out of that nursery and headed over to Hackney Marshes, they walked past this area which was covered in rubbish and graffiti all over the fence.

“It just felt really neglected and not very pleasant. […] I had this idea of painting a mural, I thought that would make the whole space feel nicer and more loved.”

Ward-Thornton and Cochrane pictured in front of the mural. Photograph: Pau Roe

He added: “What started as an eyesore has become a celebration of Hackney’s nature and community spirit.”

The mural was created by artist Claire Ward-Thornton, the co-founder of Art Hoppers – a Hackney-based art education organisation set up in 2012 to provide ‘high-quality art activities for nurseries, schools and families in both educational settings and public spaces.’

Cochrane also partnered with local environmental charity ecoACTIVE to restore the flowerbed running alongside the mural, filling it with colourful plants and shrubs to attract pollinating insects.

The painting itself depicts a meadow buzzing with bees, butterflies and moths, and was inspired by the insects found along The Hackney Buzzline – a four-kilometer ‘pollinator corridor’ connecting Hackney Downs, Millfields, Daubeney Fields and Madeley Green developed by ecoACTIVE.

The design was developed in consultation with families from the Clapton Park community, some of whom later volunteered to paint the mural’s base coats.

Local families were consulted over the design for the mural. Photograph: Ward-Thornton and Cochrane pictured in front of the mural. Photograph: Pau Roe

Ward-Thornton said of working with the volunteers: “It was a really fun day. Pizza was brought and people had a really lovely time painting, laughing, joking and sharing stories in readiness for the [mural] painting to happen the following week.”

She added of the design: “It was really a shared effort. The general idea was, it’s a pathway to the beautiful, green, wild area on the other side of the river. We want to celebrate that […] It was a very beautiful mural to paint because it had that very free, expressive look to it.”

Gerry Tissier, ecoACTIVE Hackney Buzzline manager and community ecologist, said: “Claire’s magnificent mural has become the centrepiece of our new nature gateway linking Hackney Marshes and Homerton.

“It brings colour and joy to the neighbourhood, beautifully complementing the park meadows, community gardens, and street planting that are helping to restore the area’s pollinator heritage.”

Residents raised a staggering £2,413 in donations to help fund the mural, which was created in partnership not only with the children’s centre but also with Hackney Forest School.

Lauren Mills, Hackney Forest School lead, said: “What a fantastic way to show everyone that nature is all around us, especially right on our doorstep.

“With the core ethos of a forest school nursery and the importance of being outside, this mural provides an insight into our values: being in and part of the natural world through outdoor play.

“A big thank you to Adam, EcoACTIVE, and the local residents and communities who have donated their time to volunteer.”