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The Angel of the North is a major attraction to visitors. There are over 150,000 visitors a year to visit the sight to see the awe-inspiring sculpture close up. The scale cannot fail to impress, at 20 metres (65 feet) it is more than the height of four double decker buses. Its wings are 54 metres (175 feet) wide - almost as long as the wings of a Jumbo jet. The Angel also has a warm, appealing colour. It is of a special weather resistant steel which contains copper. The surface oxidises to form a patina, which mellows with age to a rich red brown colour.

The Angel is now also one of the 12 official 'Icons of England' in a major government-sponsored Culture Online project.

Information taken from Newcastle Gateshead Council website.