Angel of the North
Visit the Angel of the North
Few landmarks say "you're in the North East" quite as emphatically as Antony Gormley's Angel, standing sentinel on a Gateshead hillside beside the A1 since 1998. Twenty metres tall with a wingspan wider than a jumbo jet, she's one of the most viewed pieces of public art in the country, seen by an estimated thirty three million people a year from passing cars and trains alone. Up close, she's rather more moving than any photograph quite manages to capture, and there's something wonderful about letting a wild child run about at the base of something so enormous.
The lowdown:
Where: Durham Road, Low Eighton, Gateshead, NE9 7TY, just off the A1 via the A167
When: Open 24 hours a day, every day
Cost: Free, with no admission charge whatsoever
Parking: A free car park sits right beside the sculpture, with space for 26 cars, four disabled bays, two coach spaces and cycle parking. There are no toilets on site, worth bearing in mind. Regular buses (the Angel 21) run from Newcastle's Eldon Square and Gateshead Interchange.
Why your wild child will love it: there's a good stretch of green space around the base of the sculpture, ideal for a run about or a picnic, and a path with a gentle slope leads right up to it, suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs alike. An ice cream or coffee van often sets up in the car park during warmer months, which never hurts.
Contact: Visitor information at gateshead.gov.uk.