Murals

Kenneth Budd – Horse Fair, Birmingham

Listing: Unlisted
Condition: Poor/damaged condition
Material Type: Mosaic
Building Type: Public realm
Artist / Designer: Kenneth Budd
Owners: Birmingham City Council
Date: 1966
Address: Holloway Circus, Birmingham B5 4EN
Local Authority: Birmingham City Council
County: West Midlands
Country: England

The Horse Fair mosaic mural was created by artist Kenneth Budd in 1966 and depicts the centuries old custom of trading horses in the area which lasted until 1911. There were originally 6 artworks by Budd throughout the city but this is the last one that survives in its original position. The mural measures 86ft in length and 13ft in height. It is a remarkable large-scale work which is bold and colourful but also includes fine and intricate detail. Horses and figures are carefully picked-out and faces are expressive and animated.

Following concerns around the mural’s deteriorating condition and uncertain future with reports that Birmingham City Council were planning to ‘decommission’ it, C20 Society applied to have it listed in 2023 but the application was rejected by Historic England and the mural remains under theat. Much of Budd’s work has been lost and none has yet been listed, making the Horse Fair mosaic an important and rare surviving work by a major post-war British mosaic artist.

Over 50 years the mural has suffered from water ingress and damp, with patch repairs failing to address the deterioration in its condition. This has hastened in recent years, with an estimated 15% of the mosaic now lost. Sympathetic cleaning, digital recording and careful relocation or reinstallation would ensure this historically important artwork can be saved for future generations.