At the heart of Northumberlandia lies the ‘Lady of the North, a striking 100ft high human landform sculpture that spans a quarter of a mile. Conceived in 2004 by renowned artist Charles Jencks, this project aimed to transform an extra piece of land into a new public space, privately funded by Blagdon Estate. It involved moving 1.5 million tonnes of soil and rock from the adjacent Shotton mine and was completed in 2010, when the sculpture was then planted with hydro seed to develop into a living landscape.
The park has since matured naturally, changing with the seasons. Though the mine closed in 2020, Northumberlandia continues to draw visitors eager to experience this unique blend of art and nature.
Open from dawn to dusk daily
There is ample parking available on site. There is no entry charge to visit but we request a donation for car parking to help with the upkeep of the site and facilities (suggested donation £2). Please contact the site if you are planning a group or school visit so that we can confirm we have staff and parking available for a larger vehicle such as a minibus or coach. https://what3words.com/amphibian.hopping.first. There are four blue badge bays, and the car park is largely surfaced with compacted stone and some areas are uneven. There are no electric vehicle charging points on site
The following buses X21 & X22 run every 10-15 minutes and stop at the Beacon Hill Fisher Lane roundabout (please check latest schedules). There is a gate with a path leading directly to the main site (approximately 10 mins on foot)
The approach from the car park into the public park to view the sculpture at ground level is fully accessible. However, when the site is not staffed you may require a Radar key to gain access by wheelchair through the kissing gate at the entrance. Please contact the site directly for any specific access requirements. There is ramp access to the Visitor Centre and Café and doors are suitable for people with special access needs.
There are two accessible toilets to the rear of the café building. Toilets are open when the café is open, please check the website www.nwt.org.uk/northumberlandia for latest seasonal opening hours
Open daily from 10am to 4pm. The cafe stop serving food at 3.15pm The café is on the right as you enter the site through the main entrance gates at Northumberlandia. It offers a range of hot drinks and snacks, a selection of NWT branded and wildlife related merchandise, as well as general visitor information. There is seating inside and further seating is available (weather permitting) on a raised terrace outside the centre with views of the bird feeding stations. There is Wi-Fi available in the cafe a
Picnics are welcome on site but please do take all rubbish home with you. No BBQs please
There is no children's play area on site
4 miles of largely surfaced paths around the landform. Woodland trail with some uneven surface (bark chip pathways) but generally accessible for pushchairs or wheelchairs
Cycling is not permitted on site, there are bike racks available at the entrance for storage
Well-controlled dogs welcome, please ensure your dog has good recall before allowing off-lead. There are a number of bins on site for disposal of dog waste
Northumberland Wildlife Trust
For further information:
Northumberlandia | Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Northumberlandia Visitor Centre | Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Blagdon Lane,
Cramlington,
Northumberland,
NE23 8AU
The idea for Northumberlandia was first conceived in 2004 as a ‘restoration first’ project – taking an extra piece of land donated by the landowner, Blagdon Estate, providing a new landscape for the community to enjoy, privately funded by the estate, while the nearby mine was still operational.
Internationally renowned artist, Charles Jencks, was commissioned to complete the £3 million project, and work began in 2010. 1.5 million tonnes of carefully selected rock, clay and soil from the adjacent Shotton surface mine to a neighbouring part of the estate to form Northumberlandia.
Once the major landscape works were complete the sculpture was blasted with ‘hydro seed’ which started to transform the sculpture into a living landscape. Her face, paths and viewing platforms were constructed with a hard stone surface with every feature surveyed and checked against carefully designed plans. Rather than becoming a highly manicured landscape, the park and sculpture has been allowed to develop naturally with minimal interference, changing with the seasons and maturing over many generations.
The mine closed in 2020, but Northumberlandia continues to attract visitors from all over the country.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust looks after the site on a day-to-day basis.
