2 Best Sights in The Northeast, England

South of Newcastle, near the junction of the A1 and A1(M) at Gateshead, stands this enormous rust-colored steel sculpture—one of England's largest and most popular works of public art. Created by Antony Gormley in 1998, it's a sturdy, abstract human figure with airplane-like wings rather than arms. It stands 65 feet tall and has a horizontal wingspan of 175 feet. It's tricky to experience the sculpture fully from a car, so park in the free lot just behind the sculpture (on the A167) and take a stroll around its feet.

An ideal stop between Newcastle and Alnwick, this charming, open-air country park is home to the largest human-form landscape sculpture in the world. If you could survey the landscape from high above, you would see the abstract form of a reclining woman, dubbed "The Lady of the North," which stretches for more than a quarter of a mile. Back on ground level, you can follow the paths leading around her contours, enjoying views of the lakes below and the sprawling countryside from the peaks of her head and breasts. As well as walking freely around the sculpture, visitors can explore pleasant woodland trails around the rest of the park. The whole site is free, as are the parking lot and toilets, but you can contribute with a donation or by picking up a drink and snack in the on-site café. Northumberlandia is 10 miles north of Newcastle or 26 miles south of Alnwick via the A1.