Anglesey man wanted ultimate room with a view and now he's got it

North Wales Live

09-07-2025

A nondescript gable wall on an Anglesey building has been turned into a work of art – to improve the views for its owner. Fed up of staring at a blank wall while having his morning coffee, undertaker Arwel Hughes wanted to look out over Amlwch Port's old harbour instead.
Over three weeks, a giant, life-like painting has taken shape, populated with some of his favourite vessels moored at the harbour. They include a newly built Viking boat that will be torched in a burning ceremony at Amlwch's popular Viking Festival later this month.
The mural, completed on Monday afternoon (July 7), has left people astonished. When the artist shared photos online, it was hailed 'beautiful', 'amazing' and an 'instant treasure'.
It was also labelled a 'wonderful attraction for locals and visitors'. Which could be tricky, as it's on private property and can only be seen up close from Arwel's driveway in Amlwch Port. People who have vowed to visit are being asked to knock first and ask permission – the funeral parlour is directly across the road.
Arwel himself has said he is 'beyond happy with it'. To create the mural, he commissioned local artist Ffion Roberts-Drakley – she's already painted several eye-catching murals on buildings across Anglesey.
'Between the weather and picking up the girls from school, I managed three to five hours a day,' she said. 'Some days it was too windy to go up the scaffolding, on others it was just too wet.
'Arwel said he wanted a better view when looking out from his dining room while having his morning coffee. I'm very pleased with it - I think it's the best one I've done so far. To complete it, I'll be using a forklift in a few weeks time to spray a weather seal on the painting.'
The mural was created on the wall of a neighbouring florist shop – Arwel owns the building. Ffion's main challenge was incorporating a window into the design: after overlaying harbour and wall photos on her iPad, she opted for a Dali-esque flourish, perching the window up in the clouds.
'Arwel wanted boats to be included in the mural that held a special meaning for him, 'said Ffion. 'So his own boat is is depicted, as well an old boat he used to fish on as a child.'
Another request was for HMS Pickle – a recreation of the famous Royal Navy schooner that brought back news of Nelson's victory at Trafalgar and his demise.
She was berthed at Amlwch Port for several years before moving to Conwy, and is now moored in Hull.
The Viking boat depicted in the mural is shown as the finished article, with a red dragon on its bow: in reality, the carved figurehead on the newly built vessel has yet to be painted – which Ffion has volunteered to undertake.
No sooner than the boat is finished, it will be burnt on the weekend of July 26-27 following a torch-lit procession through the town by Viking reenactors.
However the boat will live on in a mural just up the road that gives one resident the ultimate room with a view. Get the best island stories from our Anglesey newsletter - sent every Friday