A colourful new mural featuring images of 155 dogs has been unveiled at Banbury’s Castle Quay, following a community project involving local schoolchildren and artists.

Residents and their four-legged friends gathered at Castle Quay’s “Pink Wall” in the former M&S corridor for the official launch of Banbury Futures: A Happy Space on Thursday, July 30.

The project, commissioned by Chiltern Railways and led by Banbury BID, saw primary school children team up with ThomFong Design Studio to create artwork imagining what the town could look like in the future while celebrating Banbury’s rich history.

The pupils’ ideas were brought to life through a colourful mural, which later expanded to include 155 images of dogs belonging to residents across Banbury and nearby villages.

A colourful mural featuring 155 Banbury dogs has been unveiled at Castle Quay.

placeholder image — A colourful mural featuring 155 Banbury dogs has been unveiled at Castle Quay.

A spokesperson for Banbury BID said: “It was brilliant working with the artists to bring the pupils' visions to life from the first workshop back in June.

“We are so proud to have transformed this space in Castle Quay. It’s really special to see how much the community will love this project, and seeing how happy it made all the dog owners today was unforgettable.”

Visitors at the launch received exclusive sticker packs featuring designs from the mural, while an interactive activity worksheet for children will be launched next week to encourage further engagement with the artwork.

Sally Moore, welfare and safeguarding officer at Hill View Primary School, one of the participating schools, said: “I am just absolutely blown away. The colours are amazing and there is so much to look at.

“It is just amazing how the children’s original work has come to life. It is stunning.”