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All the United Kingdom England Gateshead The Angel of the North

The Angel of the North

Huge winged monument in the United Kingdom.

Gateshead, England

Added By
ser flac
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Wings set against a sunny sky   PaulDCocker/Flickr
Wings set against a sunny sky   PaulDCocker/Flickr
The Angel towering over visitors   Sam and Ian/Flickr
The shadow cast by the massive angel   carmen_seaby/Flickr
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
An impressive site when leaving Gateshead   JenRob / Atlas Obscura User
Angel of North   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Angel of North   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  User submitted
Striking monument!   kguerra1 / Atlas Obscura User
Angel in the sun!   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

With slightly angled wings, the massive Angel of the North has stood in embrace of its country, towering over Gateshead and greeting 90,000 staring faces every day.

Since its installation in 1998, the Angel of the North has evolved from local pariah to one of the most recognized symbols in the United Kingdom. With its stature as an Icon of England and considering its size, recognition and acceptance might have been the only path for the giant monument.

Designed and created by Antony Gormley, the Angel of the North stands at a massive 66 feet tall and extends its wings to a length of 180 feet. Due to its position on a hillside, the Angel's construction was a logistical nightmare. The statue needed the ability to withstand 100 mph winds and as such required concrete foundations 70 feet below the ground. All totaled, the foundations alone weigh 600 tons, and sufficiently supports the incredible 200 ton statue.

Standing bright red atop a hillside, the enormous statue cannot be missed from the road. During its construction, this was one of the biggest concerns of the community. Many locals feared that drivers would gaze at the statue and ignore the road while driving, causing traffic accidents along the A1 road. The fear of traffic accidents and financial concerns over its state-funded million dollar cost led to bitter disputes around the statue, and caused the project to take four years for completion.

However, 13 years after its initial construction, the United Kingdom has returned the Angel's powerful embrace and the statue is now well-loved across the nation.

 

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Outsider Art Monuments Statues

Know Before You Go

Visible from the A1 and A167 roads at Low Fell, as well as from the East Coast Main Line. There is a small car park off Durham Road, a short walk takes you to the foot of the statue. Free to visit and accessible 24 hours a day.

Community Contributors

Added By

serflac

Edited By

Global Sightseer, Jaszmina Szendrey, atimian, Collector of Experiences...

  • Global Sightseer
  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • atimian
  • Collector of Experiences
  • rbenn250
  • katielou106
  • DeeJaB
  • JenRob
  • kguerra1
  • ballyboy78

Published

September 8, 2011

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_North
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2008/01/30/angel_of_the_north_anniversary_feature.shtml
The Angel of the North
Angel of the North
L213
Gateshead, England, 33449
United Kingdom
54.91288, -1.5863
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Worm Hill

Washington, England

miles away

Beamish, the Living Museum of the North

Beamish, England

miles away

Dunston Staiths

Gateshead, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Gateshead

Gateshead

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

Worm Hill

Washington, England

miles away

Beamish, the Living Museum of the North

Beamish, England

miles away

Dunston Staiths

Gateshead, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Gateshead

Gateshead

England

Places 2

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