A serene profile
Not a trip back to an ancient county, but a lady on a very grand scale, Northumberlandia is a very unique landform sculpture. My visit, on a harsh day in March, at least assured me that the site would not be crowded. I was in the company of a very grand lady myself, known to some of you as Viv in France. Viv has a daughter who lives in Northumberland, and it was with some excitement that I travelled north to meet them, despite the atrocious weather.
In fact, I was surprised to find anyone there at all
Introductions made, and warm clothing donned, we defied the weather to do its worst. And it did! But still, Northumberlandia was an impressive sight. 100 feet high and a quarter of a mile long, the female form is made from 1.5 million tonnes of rock, clay and soil. She resides in a community park with 4 miles of footpaths. Be warned- some of them are almost vertical!
The sun even peaked out for a moment!
A lake surrounds the sculpture, for interesting reflections on a sunnier day
There are twin viewing mounds if you’re not up to the climb, but Viv was determined that she would make the most of her visit, and ascend we did. As we climbed higher, the wind was more than fresh, but the views to the Cheviot Hills and the distant sea were great compensation.
More of the sculpture becomes visible as you ascend
There’s a seat at the summit, if you’re prepared to linger
But it was a little damp
And did you see the snow?
From time to time the heavens opened, but still we were enthralled. The footpaths were a sea of mud and it was time to start our tricky descent. Just time for a few more shots.
The sculpture at the summit- proof we made it!
The mound provided good shelter for some of the photos
But the clouds were closing in again
And soon the umbrella came into its own
Time to head for a warm cuppa, and a sad farewell, but it was surely a day to remember. Do have a look at the link to the website, which will provide many more details than I can. Northumberlandia lies next to the Shotton Surface coal mine and was constructed in conjunction with the Blagdon Estate, who donated the land for this project. We agreed that an aerial view of the site would be pretty spectacular. Maybe in years to come it will be possible to take a helicopter flight or a balloon ride to see it from on high.
An aerial view
Meantime, Viv will be heading back to France on Friday. Safe journey, my dear! I’ll be joining up with you again on Six word Saturday.
restlessjo 
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