Nov 5 marked a milestone.
After more than 20 years of prayer, planning, and perseverance, the first ground was broken for what will become the UK’s largest Christian monument. Standing at 51.5 metres, the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be built from one million bricks, each linked to a real story of answered prayer. It is a bold idea with a simple purpose: to make hope visible for generations to come.
Around 200 guests — including donors, civic leaders, pastors and long-standing supporters — gathered on site in Coleshill, near Birmingham, to witness the start of building work after the project reached its initial £40million fundraising target.
Founder, Richard Gamble, who had the vision for Eternal Wall more than two decades ago, captured the mood perfectly when he said, “This is a day I have prayed for, dreamed of, and worked towards for 21 years.” Eternal Wall, he added, is “a living monument, a place where people can encounter stories of faith and be reminded that prayer still changes lives.”
Churches Together in England General Secretary, Bishop Mike Royal, who attended the groundbreaking said: “”The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is more than a physical monument, it is a spiritual reminder that when all else fails, calling out to Jesus, enables God to make a way, where there is no way.”
At the heart of Eternal Wall are the stories. Each brick will digitally link to a testimony of answered prayer, big and small, quiet and dramatic, from people across the UK and around the world. Together, they will form the largest collection of answered prayers ever assembled, preserved in one striking landmark visible to motorists, rail and air passengers, and visitors alike.
Eternal Wall is anticipated to attract around 250,000 visitors a year once fully open in 2028.
To ensure the site can become fully operational — including a visitor centre, car park and landscaped grounds — Eternal Wall has launched a public crowdfunder to raise the remaining £5.7 million needed.
Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is a Charity and Network in Association with Churches Together in England.