Drone captures world’s largest land sculpture of female form

By Elizabeth Hunter

Drone photos show the world's largest land sculpture of the female form.

Known as the "Lady of the North," the art spans a quarter of a mile and stands over 100-feet tall.

It shows a reclining female figure and was constructed from 1.5 million tonnes of rock and soil left over from the now defunct Shotton Surface Mine in Northumberland.

Plans for the sculpture began in 2004, thought up by artist Charles Jencks, and by 2010, the work had been completed.

The sculpture has been planted with hydro seed to develop into a "living landscape," which changes naturally with the seasons.

Stephen Coatsworth, a local landscaper, has the job of cutting the landform once per year - an effort which takes around a week.

He said: "We cut it with a big machine, which takes about three days, then we come in with smaller machines for the steeper areas.

"Up by the face is a really steep area - some of that has to be done with a hedge cutter because it's nearly vertical.

"It takes about a week - but I like to see how much I can get done with the big machine and then work out from there."

Stephen typically has around three to five employees with him to take on the task - which he has been in charge of completing since 2012.

Despite his extensive experience, he admits that handling machinery around the steeper areas can still be an intimidating job.

"It can sometimes be a bit scary, but I'm getting used to it now," he said. "It's a lovely job to be doing - but I'm quite glad to get home safely every night."