Lincolnshire is already a top destination for aviation enthusiasts, but now a new landmark has appeared in the county – a life-size sculpture of a Lancaster bomber.
Created by the Bomber County Gateway Trust after nearly eight years of work, the artwork marks ‘Bomber County’ and honours the RAF crews as well as the number of military airfields that were based there during the Second World War.
Described as the Midlands answer to the Angel of the North, the £1 million sculpture, On Freedom’s Wings, sits on a hillside overlooking the A46 in the village of Norton Disney.
Set to be seen by 35,000 motorists daily, the sculpture of a bomber in flight weighs over 90 tonnes, stands 29m tall on large steel support struts and has a wingspan of 31m.
And while the striking sculpture of the Avro Lancaster bomber has been likened to the famous Angel of the North beside the A1 in Gateshead, On Freedom’s Wings is nine metres taller than the famous Antony Gormley installation.
Run by volunteers, the Bomber County Gateway Trust finally saw the installation lifted into place in early September after years of fundraising, but construction is continuing on a car park and landscaping, so the site is not yet open to the public.
However, there will be specific days when the site can be visited, including 28 September, and 4, 12 and 18 October, with gates open 10am until 4pm. When all the remaining work is complete, the site will fully open along with a new booking system.
Although intended to be a reminder of all Bomber Command crews, the steel sculpture is also a tribute to several aircraft, including Lancasters, that crashed nearby during the Second World War.
One in particular – Lancaster R5689 (VN-N) – came down close to the site on 18 September 1942 as it limped home from a mission over the Baltic Sea and five members of its crew were killed.
On Freedom’s Wings joins a host of other visitor attractions across Lincolnshire that serve as a living tribute to the RAF and its crews who were based in the county during wartime.
Today Lincolnshire is still at the centre of aviation, and is home to several RAF bases, the International Bomber Command Centre, the world famous RAF Red Arrows and the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, often seen in national fly pasts.
Full details about the new sculpture are available at www.bombergatewaytrust.co.uk
More details about Lincolnshire’s aviation heritage and attractions, can be found at www.visitlincolnshire.com/things-to-do/aviation-heritage/
For more about visiting, and staying in, Lincolnshire, see www.visitlincolnshire.com
All photos: Claire Hartley
