Where is Saxon King on Horse?
Saxon King on Horse is on top of the Olton Interchange - Olton Station, Station Drive, Olton, Solihull, B92 7AQ
In brief
In the early 2000s the then transport authority in the West Midlands, Centro, commissioned various artists including John McKenna to make sculptures to go on top of public transport interchanges. For Olton, John metal bashed the Saxon King on Horse.
Saxon King on Horse - Olton Interchange (June 2010). Photography by Elliott Brown
The Saxon King - origins
Olton means Old Town, and the nearby area Kineton mean's King's Town. There was a Saxon settlement at Yardley, but after a decline, nothing is known of it after 1086. Another nearby area Ulverley which means Wulfhere's clearing, flourished until late in the 12th century, until it was abandoned and a new town was built, the present Solihull. All that remains today is the names of Ulverley Green Road and Olton.
Saxon King on Horse - Olton Interchange (June 2010). Photography by Elliott Brown
Olton Interchange
Trains from Olton between Dorridge, Birmingham Snow Hill and towards Stourbridge Junction, Kidderminster and Worcester. The no 37 bus used to go on Station Drive (later renumbered to the 4). But it now stays on the nearby Warwick Road, without going down this way. Only the A12 and 58 bus routes top outside the station now. The Grand Union Canal is a short walk away from the interchange.
Saxon King on Horse - Olton Interchange (June 2020). Photography by Elliott Brown