Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
about 1 month ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
about 1 month ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
about 1 month ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
about 1 month ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Northumberland Northumberlandia: Lady of the North

Northumberlandia: Lady of the North

A million and a half tons of earth were used to create one of the world's largest land sculptures.

Northumberland, England

Added By
Alan Newman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
There are 4 miles of winding paths throughout the sculpture   Kevin
There are 4 miles of winding paths throughout the sculpture   Kevin
The Lady’s visage   David Dixon
The face from under her chin   Glen Bowman
Looking down her nose   Oliver Dixon
A full panoramic view   David Dixon
An aerial view - Lady to the right, the mine to the left   Map data 2016
Her head in profile   David Dixon
2019, the surface coal mine is still working, view from the head   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
2019, ponds now full and established   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Info board   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  theboyblair / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
The lady’s face   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
From her nose to her toes   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Walking the four miles of swirling paths that wind around the green hills and swales, the world's largest work of "Earth art" is so big and so abstract that it’s hard to reconcile into a unified form. But get a little distance or some height, and all 46 acres magically come together to create “The Lady of the North."

The enormous reclining female figure was constructed from clay, dirt, and slag-waste from its next-door neighbor, the Shotton Surface Mine, in northern England. For the owners of the mine, the project was a way to help offset the damage done by stripping the land for coal. Looking at an aerial view, the contrast between the mine and its redemptive sculpture is stark.  

The park that encompasses the figure is called Northumberlandia; it was conceived and built by architectural theorist, social critic, and landscape designer Charles Jencks. The Lady isn’t the first time he’s tackled massive land manipulation–going back to “The Garden of Cosmic Speculation” in the late 1980s, Jencks has spent decades combining his unique brand of social and scientific criticism with large-scale earth-sculpting.

Northumberlandia was officially opened by in 2012 by Princess Anne. It took £3 million pounds and a million and a half tons of mine waste to build it, on earth donated by the owners of the Shotton mine and nearby Blangdon Estate. Rising 112 feet at the highest point and nearly a quarter mile long, she goes a long way to heal some earthly wounds.

Related Tags

Art Landscapes Earthworks

Know Before You Go

Northumberlandia is near to the town of Cramlington, just east of the A1 and about 10 miles north of Newcastle in Northumberland. The park is open every day from dawn to dusk, and the Visitors Centre and Café are open Friday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free.For anyone interested in getting a drone shot while visiting, please note that they are not permitted.

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

erjeffery, rbenn250, katielou106, theboyblair

  • erjeffery
  • rbenn250
  • katielou106
  • theboyblair

Published

November 7, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.northumberlandia.com
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northumberlandia
  • http://www.banksgroup.co.uk/shotton/
  • http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-duke-the-landscape-architect-and-the-worlds-most-ambitious-attempt-to-bring-the-cosmos-to-earth
Northumberlandia: Lady of the North
1 Blagdon Lane
Northumberland, England
United Kingdom
55.086652, -1.631226
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Giant Spoon

Northumberland, England

miles away

Abandoned St. Mary's Asylum

Stannington, England

miles away

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum

Northumberland, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Northumberland

Northumberland

England

Places 9

Nearby Places

The Giant Spoon

Northumberland, England

miles away

Abandoned St. Mary's Asylum

Stannington, England

miles away

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum

Northumberland, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Northumberland

Northumberland

England

Places 9

Related Places

  • Untitled (Johnson Pit #30)

    Kent, Washington

    Untitled (Johnson Pit #30)

    Tasked with beautifying a disused stretch of industrial land one artist filled a hole with grass.

  • Reykjavik, Iceland

    Þúfa

    This earthwork installation sits on a grassy hill, celebrating Iceland's past and present.

  • The majestic, moss-hung oasis of Brookgreen Gardens’ Live Oak Allée.

    Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

    Live Oak Allée at Brookgreen Gardens

    Take a stroll through this centuries-old tunnel of enormous moss-hung evergreens, nestled among the grounds of America’s first public sculpture garden.

  • Fife Earth Project

    Lassodie, Scotland

    St. Ninian's Fife Earth Project

    The half-finished remains of what would have been Scotland’s biggest piece of landscape art.

  • Ancient Indian pictographs at Fate Bell rock shelter in Seminole Canyon.

    Comstock, Texas

    Seminole Canyon

    Beauty and history abound in this remote West Texas canyon.

  • Tende, France

    Valley of Wonders

    Tens of thousands of ancient rock carvings hidden in the heart of a French national park.

  • Mural seen from the palace courtyard.

    Morelia, Mexico

    'People and Landscape of Michoacán' Mural

    This masterpiece of muralism depicts the rich culture of the people of Michoacán and their timeless connection to the land.

  • Warsaw, Poland

    The Canaletto Room

    These 18th-century paintings of Warsaw were used to reconstruct the city after World War II.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.