Newquay’s Street Art Trail Has Turned the Town into a Walkable Gallery

Newquay has always been a town people come to see. Now it’s becoming a town people come to look at properly, wall by wall.

The MUQY Street Art Trail is a free walking route around the town centre, linking large-scale murals that celebrate Newquay’s heritage and identity. It’s produced by Slapdash Studios, with stage one showcasing murals by Kleiner Shames, Elle Koziupa, 45RPM and Hixxy.

Alongside MUQY, the wider Love Newquay Mural Trail has been developing over the past 18 to 24 months, with each artwork featuring a QR code that links back to the Love Newquay website so people can read the story behind the wall. The aim is year-round footfall, not just during peak season, while celebrating Newquay’s creativity and community.

And the big thing to know right now is this: the latest mural has just been unveiled at the Newquay Women’s Institute Hall on Manor Road, adding a new style and a strong local history angle to the trail. 

What MUQY is trying to do (and why it works as a trail)

MUQY is described as a multi-staged project using street art to communicate Newquay’s unique heritage and identity while improving the high street. It’s brought to the town by Slapdash Studios in collaboration with Experience Newquay and Love Newquay (BID).

The set-up is simple but effective:

• big murals in prime, everyday locations

• a walking route you can do at your own pace

• QR codes to turn a quick look into an actual story

Stage one of MUQY was commissioned by Cornwall Council’s Experience Newquay project, in collaboration with Newquay BID and supported by Visit Newquay, and it is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Love Newquay also says the project is spearheaded by Jack Tierney from Slapdash Studio, working alongside Dirk Parker, a BID board member and local business owner, to identify and apply for funding.

The MUQY murals: what to look for at each stop

If you want to “do the trail” properly, MUQY gives you several very different styles within a short walk. That variety is part of the point.

Kleiner Shames at MIX, East Street: an abstract beach scene made with young people

📷Credit: LoveNewquay

On East Street, MUQY starts with a bold abstract beach scene at MIX. Love Newquay describes it as bright, joyful and “BIG”.

What makes this one stand out is the way it was developed. At a workshop hosted by Youth Art Connect, young people from the local community worked with Kleiner to design an abstract scene inspired by Newquay’s coastline.

The process also matters here. Love Newquay explains that the artwork was upscaled to the wall using stencils and a grid system, and it was painted in just over a week. 

Elle Koziupa on Sydney Road: the fisherman and Newquay’s working past

📷Credit: LoveNewquay

On Sydney Road, you’ll find Elle Koziupa’s mural of a fisherman tending his nets, painted “in the style of the old masters”. 

The inspiration is explicitly tied to Newquay’s historic fishing industry. Love Newquay says Elle was inspired by photographs from the Newquay Museum and Archive, aiming to reflect the town’s deep historical ties to fishing. 

It’s a different pace to the abstract work on East Street. This one asks you to stop and look closely, especially at how it uses light and shadow.

45RPM on The Crescent: playful Newquay details shaped by the Girl Guides

📷Credit: LoveNewquay

On The Crescent (by the side of Walkabout), 45RPM’s mural leans into character, patterns and fun. 

Love Newquay says the design was created with input from Newquay Girl Guides, who shared what Newquay means to them. That’s why you’ll spot references including surfing, palm trees, crabs, fishing nets and camping. 

There’s also a telling quote on the Love Newquay page from Jack Tierney about how the trail came together. He says the initial concept was developed by Dirk Parker and himself and was made possible with Experience Newquay funding, with the goal of bringing distinct artists and styles to Newquay while celebrating the town’s heritage and future.

Hixxy at the Unity Building, Gover Lane: “Rolling into Town” and the reality of seasonal Newquay

📷Credit: LoveNewquay

Hixxy’s mural, Rolling into Town, is on the Unity Building, Gover Lane. Love Newquay describes it as focusing on the ebb and flow of tourism, featuring figures including RNLI lifeguards, hospitality workers, dog walkers and traffic wardens, brought to life in a bright, bouncy style.

This one is particularly interesting because Love Newquay includes a first-person quote from Josephine Hicks (known as Hixxy). She writes about Newquay being associated with surf lovers, family holidays and “good time vibes”, and questions how the town copes with the doubling in population. The beach balls “stacked high” rolling down the hill represent tourists arriving, while also asking how that feels for residents.

It’s not just cheerful colour. It’s about Newquay’s seasonal identity, told in a way that still works as street-level fun.

HASS at Newquay Train Station: rail history, coastal symbols and a Celtic myth reference

📷Credit: LoveNewquay

HASS (Hasan Kamil) has a mural at Newquay Train Station, and it’s packed with references.

Love Newquay says the design celebrates Newquay’s longstanding connection to the Great Western Railway, beginning with The Cornishman steam train as a nod to GWR heritage and its historic link between Newquay and London. A starling, often seen around Fistral Bay and rooted in Celtic mythology, appears as a symbol of natural beauty and cultural origins. 

At the centre is the Treffry Viaduct, with an oversized rope weaving through to symbolise connection and movement, while pilchards reference the fishing industry and fragmented hints of the classic GWR logo sit in the background. 

The newest addition: Newquay WI Hall mural on Manor Road

The latest mural to join the wider Love Newquay trail has been painted on the Newquay WI Hall on Manor Road. It was produced by Slapdash Studio and painted by Irish muralist Shauna Anseo, whose work is known for storytelling and use of light. 

A stained glass look with a real Newquay history inside it

The design takes inspiration from the history of the Newquay Women’s Institute. It references archival photographs of the WI’s founder Lady Molesworth St Aubyn sourced from the National Portrait Gallery, alongside a reimagined version of the Newquay WI banner.

Created in a stained glass style with Art Nouveau influences, the background reflects early use of church halls by the WI, the importance of craft within the movement, and the visual language of the era in which the group was founded.

The finished mural shows Lady Molesworth St Aubyn in profile, colourised from an original black and white photograph, with a central banner reading “Newquay WI, Inspiring Women since 1918”. It also includes local references, including pilchards and the Huer’s Hut, to connect it firmly to Newquay.

How it was made (including the VR part)

The mural was designed as a collage of found images, with Shauna using a VR headset to map and draw outlines directly onto the wall. It was completed during a wet and windy week in December, despite challenging conditions including two storms. 

Newquay BID Manager Mark Warren said feedback from the community and visitors has been consistently positive, adding that the team is “committed to continuing this fantastic project over the next five years.”

Fore Street’s poppy mural: the first of three new works backed by TRIP funding

Another recent addition to Newquay’s growing mural collection is the mural on the side of Truscott’s on Fore Street, overlooking the car park.

Radio Newquay reports it was created by local artist Ben Allen and celebrates the town’s famous poppy fields at Polly Joke, using bold colour and abstract forms to bring movement and life to the wall. The piece is described as the first of three new murals, funded through Cornwall Council’s Town Regeneration and Investment Programme (TRIP), part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Radio Newquay adds that two further murals are planned, with locations due to be announced, and all three artworks were scheduled for completion by the end of December as part of BID’s wider work to enhance the town centre, support creatives and boost visitor engagement.

Other Street Art Sites to Add to Your Walk

MUQY might be the newest, but Love Newquay points out there’s already plenty more street art worth hunting down around town. If you’re making a proper afternoon of it, these are the extra locations they recommend adding to your route.

Feel Good Building (Poseidon mural)

📷Credit: LoveNewquay

One of the most eye-catching extra stops is the Feel Good Building, where you can see Poseidon, God of the Ocean, painted on the side of the building. Love Newquay also suggests taking a look around while you’re there, with independent businesses on site ranging from healthy food and yoga through to barbering, hair and wellness spaces.

Address: Feel Good Building, 13 Pargolla Road, Newquay, TR7 1RP. 

Harbour Steps

📷Credit: LoveNewquay

If you head down towards the harbour, Love Newquay recommends exploring the Harbour Steps and seeing what local street art you can spot as you walk down. It’s a nice reminder that not everything in Newquay’s street art scene is a single headline mural. Some of it is about keeping your eyes open as you move through the town.

Alma Place (Fore Street)

📷Credit: Northshore Surf Shop Newquay

Love Newquay also highlights Alma Place, just off Fore Street, as another spot worth checking out. As you head down Fore Street, past places like Fore Street Cafe and the Pavilion, you’ll spot a surfer mural on the side of Northshore Surfshop, sitting right among the surf shops that help define Newquay’s image.

Address: Alma Place, Newquay, TR7 1NF.

Wesley Yard

📷Credit: LoveNewquay

Another recommended detour is Wesley Yard, described by Love Newquay as a lively spot with independent shops and a monthly farmers market, as well as Newquay’s latest food court.

Address: Wesley Yard, Newquay, TR7 1LB. 

How to Do the Trail Without Overthinking It

One of the best things about Newquay’s street art trail is that it doesn’t need a map or a strict order. Everything sits within a walkable area, so you can dip in and out as you go. That said, if you want a route that flows naturally and makes sense on foot, this is an easy way to do it.

Start at Newquay Train Station, where you’ll find the HASS mural. It’s a fitting starting point, especially if you’re arriving by rail, and sets the tone with its strong links to Newquay’s transport and coastal history.

From there, head into town towards East Street, where the Kleiner Shames mural at MIX introduces the trail’s more abstract, youth-led side. Continue across to Sydney Road to see Elle Koziupa’s fisherman mural, which slows the pace and brings Newquay’s working past into focus.

Next, walk up to The Crescent for the 45RPM mural by Walkabout, one of the liveliest stops on the trail and a good reflection of modern Newquay’s energy.

From The Crescent, cut across towards Manor Road to visit the newest addition at the Newquay Women’s Institute Hall. This mural sits slightly away from the busier streets and works well as a pause point, offering a completely different style and a strong connection to Newquay’s social history.

After Manor Road, head down towards Gover Lane to see Hixxy’s Rolling into Town mural at the Unity Building, which captures the rhythm of seasonal life in Newquay and makes a natural final stop for the main MUQY trail.

If you want to extend your walk, you can then loop back towards Fore Street to see the poppy-inspired mural on the side of Truscott’s, before exploring the additional street art sites at Alma Place, the Harbour Steps, and the Feel Good Building.

Taken at a relaxed pace, the full route can be done in around an hour, longer if you stop for photos, coffee or a proper look at the details. It’s a simple way to see Newquay from a different angle, one wall at a time.

Why this feels like a real change for the town

A good mural does two things at once. It makes a wall worth looking at, and it makes you notice where you are.

MUQY does that by mixing Newquay’s everyday identity (tourism, surf culture, the working harbour and fishing heritage) with the things people don’t always stop to clock (rail history, mythology, community groups shaping the design, and the WI story being told in stained glass style on a main road). 

And importantly, it’s not finished. Love Newquay has said more murals are planned, and the wider trail continues to expand as new walls come into play.