Mural uncovered in living room as couple restore former pub
A couple have uncovered a piece of history in their new family home.
Rob and Josephine Noddings moved into their new home in Linley Brook, near Bridgnorth, in October, having finalised the purchase earlier in the year.
They knew it was a unique house to make into a home; as it has been known to all as The Pheasant pub since time immemorial. However, a successful change of use application means that it can be turned into a family home for them and their two-year-old son.
Rob said: "I've already decided to make the original bar area into a games and family room, we're keeping the bar and the furniture."
Having decided to keep some of the unique features of the Pheasant, Rob and Josephine then discovered something even more unique in The Pheasant.
In days gone by one of the rooms towards the back of the pub sported a wall-sized mural which depicted a complex and wide ranging hunting scene. It was covered over by the previous owners back in the 1980s, but having revealed it, Rob and Josephine have decided to keep it as a feature in what will now become their living room.
Rob said: "We are going to keep it. The mural used to cover the whole wall, and stretch around the corner, but the bit that is salvageable is about a metre and a half by about a couple of metres.
"It was a big hunting scene with lots of characters. It had a lot of different people in it who were allegedly people from the local area.
"The bit we have saved has a big chap with a shotgun and a pheasant. There's also a lady hanging out a window with no top on, and a witch at the top, so it is quite unique."
Having discovered this piece of local history, Rob and Josephine are keen to get in contact with the original artist to have it restored.
Rob added: "We asked on social media and the name Peter Tarrant has come up, and we have contacted him to see if he did paint it. If we can't get in contact with the original artist we are going to get another mural painter to come in and restore it.
"We are doing a lot of renovations to the property but where possible we are trying to save and celebrate its former history as a popular local pub.
"The bar, this mural and some of the original stone walls are among the things we are preserving."
