Next stop on the 2012 Sculpture Trail ride: the Angel of the North, Antony Gormley’s colossal steel guardian that’s kept watch over Gateshead since 1998, perched on a hill above the A1, A167 and the East Coast Main Line like it’s silently judging the morning traffic.
At 20 metres high and 208 tonnes, it out-heights a five-storey building, but it’s the wings that steal the show, spanning 54 metres, nearly as wide as a jumbo jet and thankfully a lot quieter. Rust-hued and unmistakable, it’s become one of the most photographed things in the north-east, and once you’ve seen it in person you’ll understand why everyone pulls over for a picture.
Impossible to miss from the road and well worth the stop if you’re doing the trail.
Websites: Sculpture Trail Ride Google Map
