New lease of life for much-loved piece of Robin Hood's Bay seafront heritage
A much-loved piece of Robin Hood’s Bay heritage has been given a new lease of life.
Originally commissioned by the North York Moors National Park in 2016, The Story of Bay – Footprints Through Time, features 50 vibrant mosaics by North Yorkshire artist Ruth Wilkinson, capturing the rich history and stories of the village along the sea wall.
It follows a timeline from the Jurassic period to the present day, featuring subjects including smuggling, shipwrecks, storms, fishing, industry, wildlife and tourism.
After years of exposure to the elements the mosaics were looking a little tired, and so last summer Ruth took on the challenge of giving all 50 boards a new lease of life, while the park’s Countryside Ranger Apprentices and National Park volunteer group, The Coasties, rolled up their sleeves to give the sea wall a fresh lick of paint. In November, Ruth returned to Robin Hood’s Bay to oversee the re-installation of the mosaics, in what proved to be a fiddly process.
The result is a beautifully restored artwork, once again adding colour, character and storytelling to the village sea wall for people to enjoy.