Shrewsbury’s Knife Angel is free to visit until July 31

The Knife Angel Exhibition is now on display in The Square in Shrewsbury, giving residents, schools and community groups a limited window to see the 27ft sculpture before it leaves on Friday 31 July.

Brought to the county town by Shrewsbury Town Council, the sculpture is being used by Shropshire Council’s exploitation and education services to encourage conversations about knife crime, youth safety and the risks knives present.

A 27ft figure made from seized knives

The Knife Angel is a winged figure created by sculptor Alfie Bradley and made from 100,000 seized knives and blades. It was made locally at the British Ironworks Centre in Oswestry and has toured the UK since December 2018.

Its formal title is the National Monument against violence and aggression. In Shrewsbury, it is also being presented as a memorial to people affected by knife crime, with the council encouraging young people and adults to use the visit as a prompt for reflection rather than a passing look at a public artwork.

The sculpture’s setting in The Square makes it a visible centre-point in the town, and the source confirms it will remain there until Friday 31 July.

Schools and community groups are being encouraged to visit

Shropshire Council says its exploitation and education services are encouraging schools, community groups and residents to visit while the Knife Angel is in Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury Town Council is also offering knife awareness sessions to all schools.

The council says knife crime levels in Shropshire are lower than nationally reported, but it also stresses that incidents do occur. Its message around the exhibition is that continued awareness is part of keeping those figures low.

Recent prevention work is also part of the context. Shropshire Council’s TREES programme, which stands for Together, Reducing and Ending Exploitation in Shropshire, worked with partners for three months in Sundorne and Harlescott on community safety, including reducing knife-related incidents.

Steer Clear, a Shropshire Council partner working with under-18s in West Mercia, worked with 30 young people from Shropshire in the 2025-2026 financial year. Since January 2024, it has worked with 91 children in total.

What visitors need to know before going

The Knife Angel Exhibition is free and open to the public at The Square in Shrewsbury. The source material does not state daily opening times, booking requirements, accessibility details, food stalls or dedicated transport arrangements.

The confirmed practical point is the deadline: the sculpture is in Shrewsbury until Friday 31 July. Anyone planning a school visit, group discussion or family visit should treat that date as the key planning marker.

David Shaw, Director of Children’s Services at Shropshire Council, said the council’s exploitation and education teams and their partners support young people who feel compelled to carry knives, including those afraid of bullying or exploitation by adults.

Councillor Andy Hall, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and education, said talking about knife crime and the risks knives present can help keep knife crime figures in Shropshire low.

Shropshire residents with concerns or seeking support regarding exploitation and knife crime are being directed by the council to the TREES page on the Shropshire Council website.

Source: Shropshire Council Newsroom