Angel of the North Angel of the North The Angel of the North is a contemporary sculpture, designed by Antony Gormley, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Completed in 1998, it is a steel sculpture of an angel, tall, with wings measuring across. The wings do not stand straight sideways, but are angled 3.5 degrees forward; Gormley did this to create "a sense of embrace". The angel like much of Gormley's other work is based on a cast of his body. It stands on the hill of Birtley, at Low Eighton in Lamesley, overlooking the A1 and A167 roads into Tyneside, and the
Angel of the North East Coast Main Line rail route, south of the site of Team Colliery. According to Gormley, the significance of an angel was three-fold: first, to signify that beneath the site of its construction, coal miners worked for two centuries; second, to grasp the transition from an industrial to an information age, and third, to serve as a focus for our evolving hopes and fears. Work began on the project in 1994, and cost £800,000. Most of the project funding was provided by the National Lottery. The "Angel" was installed on 15 February 1998. Due to its exposed location, the sculpture