From the Ddraig Goch to Dot Cotton: Village unveils new mural

Nation.Cymru Staff

A mural celebrating a Welsh village’s history has attracted attention online after featuring an unlikely local connection to a much-loved EastEnders character.

The new artwork in Pontiets, organised by Pontyates Community Improvement, includes the Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal, daffodils, the Ddraig Goch, the Pontyates RFC logo, and the Arthurian Twrch Trwyth.

However, many people online were stumped by the appearance of EastEnders’ Dot Cotton alongside the Welsh symbols.

Artist Stephen Jenkins, known as JenksArt, worked on the final design during the June heatwave. Teasing the mural on Facebook, he wrote: “And what is Dot Cotton doing on a wall in rural Wales, Pontiets to be precise….. anyone know the answer!! Tufty badge for the winner!”

Several commenters highlighted that, in the show, Dot Cotton had been evacuated to the small, Welsh village during the Second World War.

This was based on the real-life experience of June Brown, the actress who played Cotton, who had herself been evacuated to Pontiets before joining the Wrens.

Jenkins told S4C that after hearing about the connection, he had no plans to include Dot Cotton in the design, but was eventually swayed by a member of Pontyates Community Improvement.

He added: “This is the part of the mural that everyone is asking about and talking about. This will probably be the most popular part of the whole wall.”

The volunteer organisation Pontyates Community Improvement first developed the idea for a mural four years ago. However, Jenkins explained that the project was initially “so big I thought the budget to do it all was a bit astronomical for a small village”.

He continued: “Lo and behold a few fundraising activities have taken place and we’ve gone and gotten it painted!!! Huge thanks to Pontyates Community Improvement – Gwella Cymuned Pontiets.”

The final design was born from brainstorming sessions with local schoolchildren who offered ideas for things to include, providing “a mixture” of icons.

The mural has since been featured in the S4C article and on Radio Cymru, and has attracted widespread praise online.

Residents shared the enthusiasm, saying: “Oh my gosh that’s absolutely gorgeous. You’re so talented the detail is amazing. Thank you very much for sharing your artworks with the village.”

Another added: “So much to look at, it’s fantastic. So many different figures. Amazing work again.” 

Jenkins also included an image of a card sent to him by Pontyates Community Improvement, who said that the “amazing mural” had “exceeded all our expectations and been a lovely talking point in our little village.”

They also shared their gratitude with the local community who had contributed to fundraising efforts, writing: “Thank you for all the support! Diolch o galon am yr holl cefnogaeth!”

JenksArt, originally from Llanelli, specialises in custom murals. You can view more of his work on his Facebook and his site.