Work starts next week on a beautiful new mural in the town centre, inspired by the town’s floral heritage.
The mural will be completed on Friday 24 April and is a joint project supported by Bury in Bloom, The Subversiv Collective and Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District (BID).
Street artist Nathan Murdoch, of Peterborough, who was recently featured on BBC Look East, working as a contracted artist under the Subversiv Collective, will create the mural on a wall in Market Thoroughfare, which connects the Cornhill with The arc Shopping Centre. The passageway was widened as part of West Suffolk Council’s project to create two retail units at the former Post Office site.
The project has been funded using money allocated to West Suffolk Council by Central Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Mark Cordell, CEO of Our Bury St Edmunds BID, said: “Street art can be a powerful way to tell the story of a place, and it’s something our town centre has been missing. When Market Thoroughfare reopened and I saw the long blank wall opposite the new shops and apartments, it immediately struck me as a canvas waiting for a fantastic piece of art. I’m delighted that, working with The Subversiv Collective and Nathan, we’ve been able to bring that vision to life.
“We’re very grateful for the financial support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and West Suffolk Council, which has helped make this project possible. I hope the mural becomes another reason for people to visit and enjoy our town centre — and that it’s just the first of many more artworks to come.”
Bury in Bloom enters into Anglia in Bloom annually, and achieved a Gold Award from Britain in Bloom in 2025
Chris Wiley, Coordinator of Bury in Bloom, said: “As we look to further enhance the town, we are incredibly excited to see the floral element of Bury St Edmunds recognised in a large-scale floral mural, connecting two key parts of the town. Included in the design are plants associated with Bury St Edmunds; Oxlip (flower of Suffolk) and St Edmund’s Rose, alongside the words ‘A Jewel in The Crown of Suffolk’. Anything to celebrate the town’s successes should, in my opinion, be showcased like this for residents and tourists alike.”
Ian Dance, the driving force behind The Subversiv Collective, an international community of collaborative street artists united by a shared belief in the transformative power of public art, said: “We were genuinely delighted to be invited to contribute to such a historic and culturally rich town.
“Partnering with Our Bury St Edmunds BID and Bury in Bloom felt like a natural fit, as both organisations share our passion for creating beautiful, welcoming public spaces that bring communities together.”
The Subversiv Collective is committed to making street art more accessible, supporting artists in developing sustainable careers and championing freedom of expression as a vital cultural force. Ian believes art should extend far beyond gallery walls and into the public spaces where people live, work and connect — transforming streets, buildings and everyday urban landscapes into powerful expressions of identity and place.
Cllr Cliff Waterman, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “Bury St Edmunds is such a great place to live and work. It’s a town of culture, history and heritage, and of beauty. This mural celebrates all of these things. It also celebrates the collaborative community effort behind Bury In Bloom. It celebrates our Western Suffolk identity and of course the central role of St Edmund. As well as doing all this, in a practical way it builds on our own work to widen Market Thoroughfare and encourage footfall between Cornhill and the arc. I am delighted to support this fantastic project.”
