A striking new landmark now graces the Lincolnshire skyline, honoring the legacy of RAF crews from World War II. After nearly eight years of planning and construction, a life-size steel sculpture of an Avro Lancaster bomber—titled On Freedom’s Wings—has been installed beside the A46 at Norton Disney, near the Nottinghamshire-Lincolnshire border. The project, spearheaded by the Bomber County Gateway Trust, saw the massive structure lifted into place with two cranes before 40 volunteers secured it with nuts and bolts. Each wing spans 14.5 meters (47.6 ft), and the entire aircraft is tilted in flight, as if returning home to RAF Swinderby, a former wartime airfield just two miles away. Rising 15 meters above ground level, the sculpture gives the impression of a Lancaster soaring across the horizon.
“This has been almost eight years in the making, and it’s fantastic to finally see it standing tall,” said Charlie White, chair of the Bomber County Gateway Trust. “It’s not designed as a memorial, but people will naturally associate it with the thousands who served in Bomber Command. I can’t quite believe we’ve made it happen.” An estimated 35,000 motorists a day will see the landmark as they travel the busy A46 between Newark and Lincoln, providing a new cultural gateway to the county long known as “Bomber County” for its concentration of wartime airfields.
The sculpture pays homage not only to Bomber Command’s extraordinary contribution but also to local wartime history. Nearby, on September 18, 1942, Lancaster R5689 (VN-N)—the most photographed Lancaster of the war—crashed while returning from a mission over the Baltic Sea, killing five crew members. This tragic connection influenced the decision to base the sculpture’s design on VN-N, ensuring the landmark serves as a lasting reminder of Lincolnshire’s aviation heritage. The Bomber County Gateway Trust, a registered charity, was established to create an iconic landmark celebrating the region’s deep ties to aviation history. The initiative reflects Lincolnshire’s role as the heart of Bomber Command during the Second World War, a legacy once overlooked but now increasingly recognized, following the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London (2012) and the International Bomber Command Centre at Canwick Hill.
On Freedom’s Wings now joins this tradition of remembrance through art and engineering. For more information and updates, visit the Bomber County Gateway Trust’s Facebook page at On Freedom’s Wings.
*IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT VISITING ON FREEDOM’S WINGS
Thank you for all your support. Although the site was opened briefly yesterday to allow those gathered to enjoy it, it remains a construction site. It will be properly open for visitors during the autumn, but for now essential work continues to make the area safe. Please do not attempt to access the site at this time. A dedicated car park and entry system will be provided off Folly Lane, with details shared soon on Facebook and the Trust’s website. Please remember that the land where the sculpture sits is privately owned, working farmland with crops and livestock. There is absolutely no access from the works access road off the A46—this is a private route for quarry and farm traffic only. We are thrilled with the overwhelming response this sculpture has received and appreciate the many questions people want to ask. The website will soon be updated with details about the design, history, engineering, and evolution of the project. In the meantime, we thank you for your understanding and respect as our priority has been to get the Lancaster “in the air.”
