A mural to celebrate Cherry Hinton Brook

— a precious Cambridge chalk stream

This project involves designing, painting and installing a mural that will celebrate the importance of the Brook for its wildlife. Chalk streams are a globally threatened and rare habitat. The mural will entertain and engage passers-by, have educational content, and be relevant to residents of Romsey, Coleridge and Cherry Hinton. The Sainsbury’s location, where it will be placed, is highly accessible to the large number of shoppers that use the store, and to other passers-by.

The design will be developed by an artist and students at Rowan Arts Centre in collaboration with FCHB. Key members of Sainsbury’s staff will also provide input and will approve the design before painting starts. The Public Art Section 106 grant by City Council of Cambridge, as well as a donation from Sainsbury’s, has enabled it to happen.

The design, created by Rowan, incorporates wildlife of the brook, particularly the so-called flagship species, such as the water vole and the kingfisher. The surrounding environment, the communities, solution to problems like littering, and restoration work will also feature in it. The artwork will come with the logos of the organisations.

It should be put up in the summer/autumn of 2023.

Here is the press release about the start of the project: (press release)