The six metre tall statue of Aethelflaed, the Anglo-Saxon warrior Queen by artist luke Perry situated on the Island outside the railway station in Tamworth, Staffs. Aethelflaed is a key figure from Tamworth’s past, having played a pivotal role in English history by building a chain of fortifications against Viking invaders throughout the Kingdom of Mercia. Her fortification of Tamworth in 913 AD became the forerunner to Tamworth Castle. Daughter of King Alfred the Great, Aethelflaed’s accession as a female ruler has been described as one of the most unique events in early medieval history.
Installation of the huge monument on the roundabout outside Tamworth Railway Station marked the end of 18 months of consultation, designing, planning and back-breaking labour by artist Luke Perry. The six-metre tall steel figure was put in place during a meticulous operation on Sunday, May 20, 2020, involving a large crane, ropes and ladders. The result is an impressive, striking sculpture which will greet people as they step off the train and point them towards the town centre along Victoria Road. For sculptor and artist, Luke, it was the final stage in a long project which became a real labour of love. “It’s really nice to have the statue finished and safely in place,” Luke said. “Although we had practised putting her together off-site, you can never know how something will look on location and how it will fit into the street scene. I’m really pleased with the final effect as engineering wise this is rather advanced for a sculpture and I think it works really well. “I enjoy working in Tamworth so I will miss the team here; it’s probably the best team I have worked with in my career. They are all very innovative and forward-thinking in their approach to engaging people with the arts. While I’ll miss that, I won’t miss the hard labour! I’m still having physio now from the hours of work; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’ve loved helping to raise awareness of Aethelflaed. The people of Tamworth told me they were most proud of their Anglo-Saxon heritage and I think we’ve successfully brought that to life for generations to come.” Unveiling the statue was one of the final duties performed by the outgoing Mayor of Tamworth, Cllr John Chesworth, before his term of office came to an end the next day. He said: “The unveiling of this statue of our Lady of the Mercians marks the end of a long project by many different partners, and the end result is really stunning.
Size: 6000px × 4000px
Location: Tamworth, Staffordshire, England, UK
Photo credit: © David Warren / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: aethelflaed, alfred, anglo, artist, castle, daughter, female, history, king, kingdom, lady, luke, medieval, mercia, mercian, mercians, perry, queen, ruler, saxon, statue, tamworth, tourism
