Purley Station’s new artworks offer inspiration from history

Purley BID’s efforts to enhance their district centre has seen them commission three giant artworks for the local railway station.

A collaboration of works by Dan Cimmermann and Morgan Davy, the project was supported by Southern Rail, with the art being installed at Purley Station last month.

The striking pieces provide an eye-catching welcome to train travellers with motivational messages of “inspire” and “innovate”. The designs are drawn from the area’s rich history.

The portraits, which have been installed on the wall of Platform 6, depict three distinguished people with historic relevance to Croydon:

• Amy Johnson, who in 1930 was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, setting out from Croydon Airport;
• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the 19th Century composer and conductor from Croydon; and
• William Jessop, the civil engineer who masterminded the Surrey Iron Railway, the world’s first passenger railway that went through Croydon. The Purley Rotary field is home to part of the original track.

Simon Cripps, the CEO at Purley Business Improvement District, said, “These artworks are a welcome addition to Purley and to the station for railway users to enjoy.

“The pieces highlight the remarkable people that have lived here or helped to place Purley on the map over the years. We hope this helps the wider community discover more about our outstanding history and to inspire them for the future.”

Over the coming year, Purley Station plans to host a series of talks for schoolchildren in the waiting room next to the paintings to give them the chance to find out more about these fascinating individuals and discover how their stories are inspiring and relevant today.

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