Underpass Mural

Children and young people from the Bedford community have helped two professional artists to deliver a vibrant new mural in the underpass between the Embankment and Aspects Leisure Park in Bedford, unveiled on Sunday 13th April.

Artists & Associates

Located between The Embankment and Aspects Leisure Park in Bedford town centre (what3words: gallons.punchy.nature), this large-scale mural project was commissioned to revitalise and freshen up a much-loved public artwork originally created by local residents.

The Old Mural

The previous mural depicted a riverside scene and had become a treasured feature of the underpass. However, over time it had begun to fade and suffer damage through vandalism and frequent flooding in the area. Bedford Borough Council refurbished the underpass, installing new lighting, and in the process invited Bedford Creative Arts (BCA) to commission a new mural to brighten the pathway. Rather than simply replicate the old design, the project aimed to take a fresh approach by returning to the local community to ask: what should replace it?

Community Workshops and Youth Involvement

To help shape this new vision, Bedford Creative Arts selected local artist Sarah Harrison to lead a series of workshops with young people supported by the Bedfordshire Youth Offending Service. These sessions created a space for open, honest conversations about life in Bedford, personal experiences, and the challenges that many young people face today.

The discussions and creative ideas from these workshops became the foundation of the new mural. Bedford-based artist Paige Denham worked closely with this material to develop the final design—one that represents guidance, light, and hope.

The New Mural

The new mural now transforms the full underpass, including the ceiling, walls, and entranceways into a vibrant celebration of Bedford’s identity and our shared sense of place. Young people from the Youth Offending Team alongside local children from the neighbourhood and Castle Newnham school volunteered their time with Paige, support artist Alison Goodyear, Borough Ward Councillors and BCA staff to create the finished result across a five-day painting period. The team hope it will inspire users to feel uplifted as they walk through the refurbished underpass whilst deterring graffiti.