New mural created by Peterborough’s street art king

Nathan Murdoch’s work has been seen by thousands of people across the world after stories of his incredible creations have gone viral online.

Now he has put the finishing touches to his latest piece - on a former toilet block in Stanley Rec near the city centre.

It took Nathan and his colleague Jonnie Barton two days to transform the block, which is now used by Park operatives. Given a blank canvas by the council, the pair had four different ideas which all centred around iconic Peterborough settings, wildlife and fantasy. In the end, they settled on a forest theme with the city’s Cathedral at the heart of it.

Nathan explained: “The idea was for Peterborough-themed surrealism which people of all ages could enjoy. There’s a portal in the middle of the picture linked to the Cathedral and oversized butterflies. We wanted it to be a pleasant and a colourful piece to create a talking point.

“It was one of four ideas which were all very different but all had a nod to Peterborough and nature because it’s a Park. We wanted an element of iconic Peterborough and something slightly surreal and unusual to make it a more interesting type of art.

“We were going for adventure and a fantasy theme in one way or another.

“The reaction so far has been really positive. On our Facebook page people are saying it’s beautiful and there were people wanting selfies with it while we were painting! Artwork can really make someone’s day just a little bit better.”

Cllr Nigel Simons, cabinet member for Waste, Street Scene and the Environment at Peterborough City Council, said: “Nathan is a superb artist and his work is well known not just across Peterborough, but further afield.

“We saw some of the art he and his team did recently at an underpass at Cuckoo’s Hollow which went down really well with the community, and thanks to our government funding we were able to commission him to produce something at Stanley Park.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that what Nathan and Jonnie have created is stunning and will be a real inspiration to those who use the Park. I really hope this will bring simple joy to Peterborians and visitors to the city alike.”