Another subway in Newton Abbot has been transformed from an unsightly and messy space into a walkway full of art and creativity. Celebrating the history of the railways in Newton Abbot, the newly decorated subway features a beautiful, painted mural and a series of photographic panels. Measuring over 29 meters in length, the subway is a spectacular sight.

The mural, painted by local artist, Caroline Brady, has taken inspiration from archive images of railways, tunnels, bridges and the town’s railway station and took Caroline more than two months to complete.

Giant, photo collaged panels created by our community engagement officer and local community artist, Kate Green, are positioned opposite the mural and feature carriages and wagons pulled by an engine all of which are collaged to share items from local railway history.

Kate ran a series of workshops in the museum where people were able to see museum objects. connected to the history of the railways. All sorts of items came out of the museum store including railway lanterns, guard whistles, railway workers’ tools, GWR posters, books, worker’s badges and lots of fascinating documents connected to the development of the railway in the town. Workshop participants had great fun exploring the objects and choosing what should go on show in the subway. Members of the museum’s Twilight Sketching group took inspiration from seeing railway objects and created beautiful drawings of some of the objects. Kate even took railway objects to a memory café that meets monthly inside a railway carriage!

Another feature in the subway is a QR code that will transport pedestrians to evocative oral history recordings of railway workers sharing stories about their time on the railways. You can also listen here

So, there will never be a dull moment if you are walking in the Keyberry Road area and pass through the subway there – With so much detail in the artworks you are guaranteed to see something different each time you walk through.