Opencast mining is an industry that has long caused environmental problems. The scarring left by the mining is often unsightly and measures to restore the land once it is finished with can often be expensive, challenging and imaginative.
Nowhere is this more true than in Cramlington, Northumberland, where rock and waste from a surface mine has been used to create a 396 foot long naked lady in the landscape. The reclining sculpture will officially be opened by the Princess Royal following two years of construction which has cost £3 million.
The so-called "Northumberlandia" sculpture, designed by Charles Jencks and paid for by the Banks mining group, was designed to be a lasting legacy to compensate the area for the disruption caused by coal extraction. Northumberlandia will not only be a sight to behold; members of the public can use the many paths that outline the lady's figure and enjoy an alternative countryside walk.
Katie Perkin of the Banks mining group said, "People have already taken Northumberlandia to their hearts. There was no intention to make a Pagan figure or mimic any ancient fertility symbols, despite her breasts which rise almost 100ft above the ground."
She added, "Charles Jencks, the American artist who designed her, saw the far-off Cheviot Hills which look like a reclining woman. He has borrowed from the landscape and drawn those curves and lines into the form."
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