Angel of the North

After a couple of weeks at work, this morning we set off on our next trip - to stay with Rob and Ann in Newcastle for a couple of nights.

On the way, we stopped to visit the Angel of the North. We've passed it before but never stopped to photograph it. It is immense!

The artwork was commissioned by Gateshead Council and created by Sir Antony Gormley, the internationally renowned sculptor.

Work began in 1997. It took 20 people 6 months to complete the sculpture, which is made up of 3153 individual steel pieces. To withstand the wind and the weight of the structure, holes were drilled 33 metres down through the rock, and 8 re-inforced concrete piles were installed. The sculpture was assembled on site in one day in February 1998.

A few facts about the Angel of the North:
- It stands 20 metres high (the height of 4 double-decker buses)
- It has a wing span of 54 metres (almost the same width as a jumbo jet)
- It weighs 208 tonnes
- It cost £800,000
- It can withstand winds of over 100 miles per hourLeggi altro