Princess Anne unveils giant UK coal mine sculpture

[September 04, 2012]  LONDON (AP) -- Princess Anne unveiled Monday a giant goddess sculpted from rock, earth and waste reclining in the remains of a coal mine in northern England.

The private ceremony formally declared that the 1,300-foot- (400-meter-) long female form, named Northumberlandia, has been completed. The nude figure, also known as "The Lady of the North," is 7.5 times the size of a soccer pitch and takes 20 minutes to walk around.

The landscape art has divided local opinion, with one local official calling it ridiculous. But backers of the project hope it will attract thousands of visitors, possibly creating jobs in tourism and other sectors.

Visitors will be able to scale the figure's curves, but pilots flying into Newcastle airport get the best view.

American artist Charles Jencks designed the 3 million pound ($4.7 million) sculpture, which will be open to the public at select times from Wednesday.

The project is funded by the development company that built the coal mine and a private landlord. It is near Antony Gormley's steel sculpture Angel of the North, which is about 12 miles (20 kilometers) away.

[Associated Press]

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