It has become the most instantly recognisable landmark in the North East since the Tyne Bridge opened in 1928.

The Angel can be seen prominently on arrival at Gateshead from both road and railway. Occupying the site of a former colliery, on the edge of the Great North Forest, it is seen by an estimated 90,000 travellers a day – drivers on the A1 and rail passengers on the East Coast main line (London to Edinburgh) route.

The work was completed in 1998, having taken the construction company Hartlepool Steel Fabrications five months to build. The 20m deep foundations were laid by Thomas Armstrong (Construction) Ltd.

Made from 208 tonnes of a special, weather-resistant mix of steel and copper, the Angel of the North is designed to turn a mellow reddish-brown colour over time as the surface oxidises.

The Angel is 20m high (about the height of four double-decker buses), and spans 54m (almost the same width as a jumbo jet’s wings), making it the biggest sculpture in Britain.

It has been built to last – at least a century, in fact – and can withstand winds of more than 100mph. This is rather useful given its exposed and elevated position!