Angel of the North – Dawn Over Gateshead

Few landmarks capture the spirit of the North quite like the Angel of the North. Designed by Antony Gormley and unveiled in 1998, it stands 20 metres high with a wingspan wider than a jumbo jet — a sculpture that has become a symbol of strength, resilience, and identity for the North East. Built from 200 tonnes of steel, it was created on the site of a former coal mine, its massive frame rising from the very ground that once powered our industrial past. Some saw it as controversial at first, but over the years, the Angel has become part of who we are — a monument not just to the region’s history, but to its ability to look forward.

I flew here at sunrise, as the first light broke across Gateshead and the orange sky caught the edges of the steel wings. There’s something timeless about watching the Angel greet the day — silent, still, but full of meaning. From above, you see how it dominates the landscape and yet somehow feels perfectly at home in it. The light, the land, and the art all come together for a moment that’s simple, powerful, and unmistakably northern.