Nikita Spires, a Louth-based artist, has given new vibrancy to a range of Lincolnshire railway stations through her painted murals, paying tribute to their originating Victorian era. Her most recent creation graces the ticket office at Great Coates, depicting it as it might have been during the Victorian period, an inspector awaiting tickets included. This piece is one of several in a series, with other stations including Stallingborough, Cleethorpes, Grimsby Docks, and New Clee, all situated along the line from Barton-upon-Humber to Cleethorpes. The aim of Spires’ work is to honour the many generations that have frequented these stations, her skillful artistry creating more than just pictures, but connecting historical and current times.
The artworks form part of the Railway 200 initiative, which marks two centuries since the advent of the contemporary railway system. The Barton-to-Cleethorpes line, in operation in varying stages from 1848 through to 1863, notably went unscathed during the Beeching slashes of the 1960s. This project has garnered financial support from both the East Midlands Railway and the Community Rail Network. Dawn Branton of the Community Rail Network lauded the initiative, stating that every mural wonderfully encapsulates a fragment of the Barton line.
