The artwork overlooks the growing leisure and hospitality area between the Ibis Hotel and Holiday Inn and forms part of a wider programme designed to attract visitors, support businesses and create a stronger sense of place.
Created by Swindon artist Ed Poster, the mural is titled British Wildlife Corridor and features native wildflowers and a dragonfly. The design celebrates local biodiversity while also acknowledging the historic Wilts & Berks Canal, which once passed through the area.
The mural is the fourth and final artwork to be installed along Fleet Street as part of the project, helping to establish a new visual identity for a section of the town centre that has seen significant changes in recent years.
A new timeline installation has also been introduced, charting 100 years of Fleet Street’s history through photographs and stories. The display highlights the area’s development from a key commercial and industrial route into an emerging cultural and leisure destination.
Other murals created as part of the programme include Buddleia Rising by Caryn Koh, Pattern & Place by Dayna Baxter and Ed Poster’s geometric Gateway artwork.
The scheme was curated and delivered by Artsite, the organisation behind Swindon Paint Fest. It was commissioned by Swindon Borough Council with support from Swindon Culture Collective through Arts Council England’s National Lottery Place Partnership Fund.
Helen Salter, Public Art Project Manager at Artsite, said: “We’ve put a great deal of passion and thought into creating something that supports local artists and businesses.
“The artwork celebrates our town’s heritage and biodiversity, while bringing new life to the area. These murals feel like a real milestone for a part of town that I’ve known, enjoyed and cared about for many years.”
Louise Halliday of Swindon Culture Collective said the response from residents had been overwhelmingly positive. She said:
“Ed has done an amazing job on the Hotel Ibis mural. Every time I walk past, I’m blown away.
“We’ve had lots of comments from the public telling us how much they value Swindon’s vibrant street art, and these new artworks are a testament to the amazing talent we have here, not just of the artists who create the murals, but the dedication of the Artsite producers working behind the scenes to make it possible.”
Project partners said discussions are continuing about further improvements to the area, including additional community arts spaces, planting and other green infrastructure.
Local businesses with suitable walls and shutters are also being encouraged to take part in future public art projects as plans for Fleet Street continue to evolve.
The initiative reflects wider efforts to bring new life to town centres, with Fleet Street’s mix of culture, hospitality and public space seen as a key part of Swindon’s future development.
