Upon the River Anton as it passes through Andover, a Viking vessel stands as a whimsical reminder of a far less peaceful era when Norse raiders struck fear into the heart of Anglo-Saxon England. This ship is neither a museum piece, nor a meticulous reconstruction, but rather a blend of public art, local history, and floral fancy.
Rather than cleaving the waves of the North Sea primed to pillage, Andover’s longboat began its life as something far more delicate: a flower display for the Test Valley in Bloom Millennium celebrations.
The sculpture remembers the relationship between Olaf Tryggvason and the town. In the late 10th century, the Norseman and his raiding parties proved such a persistent threat that King Ethelred was compelled to pay a substantial sum of tribute money, Danegeld, to appease the Vikings, and protect the kingdom. In addition to this, Olaf became a Christian and was baptized in Andover, vowing never to invade England again.
In 2022, weathered steel figures ‘boarded’ the ship as part of a regeneration of the area around the town’s mills. The figures were each inspired by authentic Norse depictions found on excavated coins and Viking artifacts.