From eye-catching murals of life-size galleons to giant chess pieces, swans and badger setts, Dorset Brewer, Hall & Woodhouse, is adding to its growing list of public houses that have become canvasses for artwork throughout the South West, turning blank walls into beautiful landmarks for communities to enjoy.
2013 commissions included the ship mural on the side of The Sloop in Poole by local sign writer Phil Taylor, and a landscape of Botany Bay on the side of the Botany Bay Inn near Dorchester. Anthony Woodhouse (Hall & Woodhouse’s managing director), explains: “We love the idea of using the outside of our public houses as canvasses for tasteful and relevant murals which (hopefully) enhance the locality, create points of interest and which the local community enjoy.
“We started simply by painting public house names on the side of gable ends and walls. Then at the Swan in Newbury we had a bit of fun and turned the “S” of “Swan” into a mural of a black swan. We then went further and commissioned Gordon Toulouse from Creative Signs to create a three dimensional metal sculpture of a Swan that acts as the Inn sign. We’ve gradually been growing bolder, with badgers on the side of The Half Moon in Shaftesbury (the gateway to Dorset) and huge chess pieces on the side of The Black Horse in Hookwood.”
After the Swan, the brewery threw caution to the wind and, urged on by their eccentric designer, Graham Jones, created a three storey mural of a galleon on the side of the Ship in Weymouth. “It looks as if it’s looming out of the mist and bearing down on the Quay” says Anthony Woodhouse “and we think it enlivens a blank elevation that certainly deserved better views.”
Sculptures
Anthony continued: “We also commissioned a small wicker badger sculpture at the Brewery gates. This drew so many lovely comments we decided to sponsor the roundabout adjacent to the Brewery and commissioned Dorset artist Helen Godfrey to create a badger sett and sculpt three badgers on a mound. It’s becoming a bit of an obsession now as we went on and commissioned a huge wicker badger family at the Seven Stars Public House in Petersfield – a 6ft mum and three 4ft cubs. It’s a fun way to use our public house exteriors, it creates local landmarks and it supports local artists.”