'World's longest watercolour' goes on display in Wymondham

The Wymondham Scroll is a 164ft long project by artist Patrick Boswell, 81, who spent more than a year painting nearly every medieval and Georgian building in the market town.

Patrick, who has lived in the town for 29 years, said he was inspired by the work of John Doman Turner, a 1920s artist who created the 123-long Walberswick Scroll.

The Wymondham Scroll is more than 160ft long (Image: Christine Boswell)

"I am extremely proud of it and can't quite believe it is finished after such a marathon journey," he said. 

It is on display at Wymondham Arts Centre, in Becket's Chapel, where it will be shown 60ft at a time from today until Sunday. 

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Houses and businesses through Bridewell Street, Market Street, Town Green, Vicar Street, Damgate Street and Fairland Street feature in the tapestry.

Only 60ft of the scroll can be shown at any one time (Image: Christine Boswell)

"It was quite challenging as I'm usually an outdoor painter and I was working from photos and sketches in my studio," Patrick said. 

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"The space is 12ft long so I was doing it in 12ft sections, for four hours a day over 12 months so it was quite an undertaking."

Patrick Boswell is known for his oil paintings of north Norfolk and the sea (Image: Newsquest)

The entire scroll can be viewed from start to finish on video, which is around 16 minutes long, and prints of sections will be available to buy at the chapel.

Patrick is best known for his landscapes of north Norfolk and Broadland where he paints sailing boats and seascapes. More than 80 of these paintings will also be on display. 

He has also won a Jarrold Book Award for his first book, Boswell's Norwich, which features a collection of oil paintings along with sketches, details and anecdotes.