Public art: Sentinel

Designer: Tim Tolkien

Location: Spitfire Island, Castle Vale. Near the Jaguar Land Rover Castle Bromwich plant (Chester Road, Tangmere Drive and Fort Parkway).

Made of steel in the year 2000. Nearby here Spitfire's were built during the Second World War, on what is now the Jaguar Land Rover car factory.

The project began in 1997 with the regeneration of the Castle Vale estate. Tim Tolkien was appointed artist in residence.
During World War II Spitfires were built at the Jaguar factory (now Jaguar Land Rover). He is the great-nephew of J. R. R. Tolkien.

The Castle Bromwich Aerodome Factory was built in 1940 to produce planes for the war effort. About 12,000 Spitfires were made there from 1940 to 1945 as well as Lancaster bombers.

Sentinel - Spitfire Island, Castle Vale (November 2023). Photography by Elliott Brown