A new national landmark which aims to profile a million answered prayers has been given the go ahead to be built on a site in Coleshill. Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, which will eclipse the size of the Angel of the North, will stand at 169 feet and is expected to attract 300,000 visitors each year, contributing £9.3 million to the local economy.

The iconic ‘eternal’ arch structure, which will sit on land near Coleshill Manor in between the M6 and M42, will be constructed using a million bricks, with each one representing an individual prayer that has been answered for people across the country. In addition, using interactive technology and a bespoke app, visitors will be able to use their smart device, holding it against a brick to read the personal answered prayer story it’s linked to.

After North Warwickshire Borough Council granted planning permission, the Secretary of State ratified the decision, giving Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer CEO Richard Gamble the green light to start the build. The former chaplain of Leicester City Football Club is the visionary behind the monumental public art. 

Gamble says: Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will make hope visible to the UK. The unique thing about the project is all about the community: it is crowdfunded and a million people will come together to crowdcreate this incredible piece of art with their stories of hope. What we’re doing is historic.”

It is anticipated that Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will create 60 new jobs during its two year construction phase from 2021, thereafter providing 20 full-time positions for employees to work for the charity in the visitor centre, café, bookstore and a 24 hour on-site chaplaincy support service. It is also estimated that the monument will generate an additional gross social value of £1.4 billion, including £430 million in charitable donations. 

Councillor David Wright, Leader of North Warwickshire Borough Council comments: “We are greatly excited by this project – North Warwickshire Borough Council strongly believes it will come to be as loved by people locally and nationally as the Angel of the North, and is a great opportunity to open up currently private space in our area for tranquil reflection and learning about the traditions of our land and other nations.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and a member of the judging panel who decided on the design comments: “I am delighted Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer has now finally got planning permission and work can get underway. It’s an incredibly ambitious, stunning project and is a landmark for the Midlands. It has been a long process, but this landmark will serve as a place of hope for many, and one that will help us remember the Christian heritage of our nation.

A massive thank you should go to everyone involved who has turned this vision into reality.” 

Gamble continues: “We want to celebrate and remember all the prayers that God has answered for individuals throughout our nation’s history. Each answered prayer could provide hope to those who visit. Our desire is to create thought-provoking public art and offer a space for recreation and reflection for everyone.

Our hope is that those who visit will see how God can bring peace in life’s storms and be encouraged to think about the power and relevance of prayer.”

After a global competition run by the Royal Institute of British Architects between 2016-2019, the winning Möbius strip concept, using an ‘eternal’ surface which seemingly has no beginning and no end, was put forward by Paul Bulkeley, from Snug Architects in Southampton. 

Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2021 with completion in Autumn 2022. 

Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is looking to gather one million answers to prayer. To ensure every city and region in the UK is represented in this incredible project, they need just 677 answered prayers from North Warwickshire, 2,258 from Solihull. (And 10,776 from Birmingham and 3,374 from Coventry). 

Share yours by going to www.eternalwall.org.uk/testimony