From Sister Dora to John Henry Carless - Walsall's 7 most iconic statues and the meaning behind them

Every Walsall resident knows of the giant two-faced disk that sits right in the centre of the marketplace, or the saddle that at one time all children (myself included) had ridden on. 

Subconsciously, every Walsall local knows where to go if someone says 'Meet us by the Sister Dora', or 'I'm by the big spike', but do we know the stories behind them?

What would at one time have been statues worthy of a grand unveiling, have slowly faded into obscurity - so much so that some even call the iconic 'Source of Ingenuity' piece, 'the big disks' or 'the face statue thing'.

So with that in mind, we have explored seven of Walsall's most iconic public art pieces and the history behind them, from the 'concrete hippopotamus' to the 'Walsall Nombelisk'.

Sister Dora

The Sister Dora statue sits on the corner of Park Street and is dedicated to the legendary nun and nurse, Dorothy Wyndlow Pattison, otherwise known as 'Sister Dora'.

Erected in 1886, the statue serves as a meeting spot for many Walsallians.

Sister Dora, while being born in Hauwell, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, on January 16, 1832, is a Walsall legend through and through. 

Moving to Walsall in 1865, Sister Dora worked as a relief nurse in a small cottage hospital, dedicating her life to nursing and taking care of the region's sick and needy. 

She had a huge impact on Walsall as a smallpox nurse in 1875, treating thousands of patients, training nurses as well as being renowned for her special bond with the rail workers of the South Staffordshire Railway, who often suffered industrial accidents.