Bulldozers incoming as second bid to save historic Salford mural fails

A campaign to save a hidden mural from St Ambrose Barlow RC School has hit a brick wall, with Historic England rejecting a listing application twice. The 1954 mural, The Five Joyful Mysteries of the Virgin’s Rosary, is set to be destroyed next month as the site is being cleared for new housing. Despite backing from heritage groups and the artist’s great-nephew, Nick Braithwaite, concerns over the mural’s condition and the hefty £400,000 cost of preservation have led to its demise. Covered with paint in the 90s, the mural is the only known surviving work by Hungarian artist George Mayer-Marton created in true fresco technique. While there’s hope it’s recoverable, council representatives stress that the financial logistics and timing make it difficult to save. Braithwaite argues that the mural deserves national recognition and insists the decision is unjustified. Art lovers are now calling for urgent action to find this significant piece a new home before the bulldozers roll in.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News