For several years, I have been cycling past a series of open cast coal mines to the West of my home town of Cramlington. The Banks Shotton Surface Mine has created a few jobs, and now is getting national intrest as the spoil heap has been imaginatively been formed into a visitor attraction in the shape of a female figure: http://www.banksgroup.co.uk/northumberlandia-site/

Northumberlandia, (or the “Turf Tart” to her friends :-) ), is close to opening to the public next week after the Princess Royal cuts the ribbon in Monday. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2012/08/30/princess-royal-to-open-northumberlandia-sculpture-on-monday-61634-31727458/

The extent of the 400m landform and the nearby live mine site has been mapped from Bing imagery for some time, however the detail of the many paths, view points, and hard landscaping forming the face itself needs boots and GPS on the ground to capture in its full glory.

Anyone fancy a mapping party in Cramlington? :-)

TTFN,

James PS A few features have been added by eye as a taster of the curves to come.