A mural installation – which forms a major part of the Friends of the Countess of Chester Country Park’s Fallen for the Fallen project – was officially opened in the cloisters of Chester Cathedral on Thursday (July 12).

The project has used a cedar tree from the Upton area, planted about the time of the Great War, which had come to the end of its life and had to be felled, to help people remember those who fell during the First World War or suffered as a result of it. The wood is being used to create a walking trail of carved poppies from the Upton War Memorial to a carved memorial bench in the Countess of Chester Country Park.

The carved poppies in the Countess of Chester Country Park

Julie Mitchell, Town Crier of Chester and local artist, has been the creative director behind the mural installation which has involved pupils from all the Upton schools in its creation. The five panels, which together form the mural, represent and symbolise the learning journey the community has made reflecting upon World War One, they also show the actual journey along the poppy trail from the war memorial to the park and feature the soldiers whose names are on that monument.

The opening ceremony guests were drawn from people who had a role to play in helping make the project happen. Canon Jane Brooke, acting Dean, welcomed the mural into the cathedral and Major Julian Clayton from the 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment cut the ribbon. Many of the names on the Upton War Memorial were from the Cheshire Regiment, which Major Clayton joined as a young soldier, they combined with others to become the Mercian Regiment in 2007.

L-R: Morag Scargill (Chair of the Countess of Chester Country Park Friends Group), Jill Houlbrook (Upton Ward Councillor), Julie Mitchell (Artistic Director, Art Days), Kath Carruthers (headteacher, Upton Westlea Primary School), Mike Farrell (SSAFA, Armed Forces Charity), Canon Jane Brooke (Acting Dean, Chester Cathedral), Neil McMahon (The Conservation Volunteers), Andy Scargill (Fallen for the Fallen Coordinator), Sarah Palgrave-Neath (The Land Trust), Mike Waring (Friends of the Countess of Chester Country Park), Major Julian Clayton (Quarter master, 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment), pupils representing some of the schools who took part

Andy Scargill from the Friends group is coordinating Fallen for the Fallen and spoke about it during the short ceremony which took place afterwards.

He said: “I have seen the mural become a reality over the last few weeks and have even helped create parts of it. However, it wasn’t until I was standing by it, in such a special setting, talking to the invited guests about what it meant that I fully realised how incredibly special this installation really was.

“I would urge everybody to find time to visit it and witness for themselves what these school pupils have created. The mural is a fitting tribute to those who fell, for us, 100 years ago.”

The mural will remain in the cathedral during July and August before moving on to a new home. It can be viewed at all times that the cloisters are open and a comments book is available for visitors to write their thoughts in.