Mural At The Three Tuns Pub

A mural at The Three Tuns pub, created in 1966 by William Mitchell, forms the front elevation of this public house situated at the north corner of the Bull Yard shopping complex in Coventry. The Bull Yard building itself, to which the mural is attached, is not of special interest.

The mural is an abstract two-facetted relief work cast in concrete with a pebble aggregate. It measures approximately 4 metres high and 11½ metres long, with three openings for windows. The high relief panel displays abstract motifs that could be interpreted as industrial components—such as cogwheels and spirals—or alternatively as a map of a city. The design and style appear to have been influenced by Central American art. The rear of the mural, situated inside the pub, is also in relief but less pronounced and is now painted white. The mural forms a focal point within the public square.

From the mid-1940s onwards, as part of post-war rebuilding of the inner city, Coventry introduced public art to express local pride by referring to the city's rich history, its people, and its industry. This mural is a characteristic and increasingly rare example from the 1960s.

William George Mitchell was born in 1925 and studied art at the Southern College of Art in Portsmouth and at the Royal College of Art, where he won a scholarship enabling him to study at the British School in Rome. He established the William Mitchell Design Consultants group and produced sculptures, relief murals, and mosaics using a wide variety of materials, particularly concrete. He served as a member of the Design Advisory Board at Hammersmith College of Art, Trent Polytechnic, the Formwork Advisory Committee, and the Concrete Society. From 1953 to 1965 he was employed by London County Council. His specialisation in the casting of concrete relief sculpture led him to work with many architects, including Sir Basil Spence and Sir Frederick Gibberd.