From mammoths to grand hotels - plans to spruce up town's seafront revealed

Stuart Anderson

Published: 11:40 AM December 28, 2021

Artist Colin Seal, whose team has painted a series of murals on Sheringham's 'eyesore' Shannocks Hot

Sheringham artist Colin Seal. - Credit: Karen Bethell

Long before Sheringham was a haven for holidaymakers it was a home to prehistoric animals such as mighty steppe mammoths.

And both both these pages from the area's past are to be celebrated under plans to spruce up the seafront over the next couple of years with decorations including murals and wall sculptures.

Sheringham's Colin Seal and other artists are planning to create one sculpture showing a number of life-sized mammoths and other animals along the seafront as part of the Sheringham Community Art Project (Scap).

A rough idea of how the wall sculpture featuring mammoths could look, planned as part of the Sheringham Community Art Project (Scap). - Credit: Supplied by Scap

Mr Seal said: "It is a big project. I'm excited about it, and it demands quite a lot of skill and preparation."

There will also be a wall sculpture of the legendary Sheringham lifeboat Madge, which helped to save 58 lives over her 32-year career from 1904 to 1946.

Other features will include murals of a Stone Age village, grand hotels of the past such as the Grand and the Burlington, a scene showing holidaymakers arriving at the railway station and a painting of a flint knapper.

Mr Seal said posts would also be put in place where visitors could take take photos of the cliffs and out to sea.

A rough idea of how the Burlington Hotel mural could look, planned as part of the Sheringham Community Art Project (Scap). - Credit: Supplied by Scap

These could then be sent to Sheringham Museum and collated - the idea being that thousands of photos taken from the same spots over a long period will enable coastal erosion and the displacement of the stones at sea to be seen in action.

Mr Seal said: "We want there to be public participation, and this will help our understanding of the coastline and the dynamics of the sea and land."

Judy Oliver, NCC councillor for Sheringham and Beeston Regis division. - Credit: Supplied by the Conservatives

Judy Oliver, county councillor for Sheringham, said she thought the materials for the project could cost about £12,000, which she hoped would be partly funded by Norfolk County Council.

She said: "The idea is to have 'deep history' at one end and social history at the other.

"The mammoth sculpture will be made out of wood and fixed to the wall, looking towards West Runton."

A rough idea of how the Grand Hotel mural could look, planned as part of the Sheringham Community Art Project (Scap). - Credit: Supplied by Scap

A rough sketch of a locomotive, planned as part of the Sheringham Community Art Project (Scap). - Credit: Supplied by Scap

There will be a wall painting of a flint knapper on the east prom as part of the Scap (Sheringham Community Art Project) - Credit: Supplied by SCAP

There will be a life-sized wooden sculpture of the legendary lifeboat Mage on the prom as part of the Scap (Sheringham Community Art Project) - Credit: Supplied by SCAP

There will be a wall sculpture of mammoths on the prom as part of the Scap (Sheringham Community Art Project) - Credit: Supplied by SCAP

A fishermen mural on the prom will be repainted as part of the Scap (Sheringham Community Art Project) - Credit: Supplied by SCAP

There will be a stone-age village mural on the prom as part of the Scap (Sheringham Community Art Project). - Credit: Supplied by SCAP

Part of the prom wall which will be painted with scenes showing Sheringham's social history as part of the Scap (Sheringham Community Art Project). - Credit: Supplied by SCAP

Part of the west prom wall which will be painted with scenes showing Sheringham's social history as part of the Scap (Sheringham Community Art Project). - Credit: Supplied by SCAP