On Freedom’s Wings is the impressive new landmark on the A46 in Lincolnshire: the life-size steel sculpture of an Avro Lancaster bomber,. This is not a village sign in the traditional sense, but rather a major public artwork and regional gateway feature.
Key Facts:
- Location: The sculpture is beside the A46 at Norton Disney, between Newark-on-Trent and Lincoln, near the Nottinghamshire-Lincolnshire border.
- Purpose: It honors the RAF crews of World War II, especially those of Bomber Command, and serves as a striking reminder of Lincolnshire’s aviation heritage. The county is often called “Bomber County” due to its many wartime airfields.
- Design: The sculpture is a full-size representation of a Lancaster bomber, tilted as if in flight, heading “home” to the nearby former RAF Swinderby airfield. It stands about 15 meters above ground and is visible to an estimated 35,000 motorists daily on the A46.
- Inspiration: The design is based on Lancaster R5689 (VN-N), the most photographed Lancaster of the war, which crashed nearby in 1942.
- Unveiling: The sculpture was completed and unveiled in September 2025 after nearly eight years of planning and fundraising by the Bomber County Gateway Trust.
Additional Notes:
- The site is still being developed for visitors, with landscaping and parking underway. It is not yet fully open to the public, but you can view the sculpture from the A46.
- The landmark is sometimes called the “Midlands’ Angel of the North” due to its scale and prominence.
