About the Area
Completed in 1986, Richard Cole's Windy Nook, 160 metres high and covering 5,500 square metres, is still one of Europe's largest environmental sculptures.
The work transformed a former colliery slag heap into an ambitious piece of land art and a much-used facility for the Gateshead community.
Enjoyed as a walking and recreation site, visible as a dramatic landmark, and noted for its excellent views - across the Tyne, coast and Cheviot Hills - Windy Nook also provides a habitat for birds and wild flowers and an exciting play area for the locality.
The terraced design consists of concentric semicircular stone walls and turfed earthworks descending the hillside and incorporating 2,500 tons of stone recycled from pillars supporting the old Scotswood Bridge.
Richard Cole aimed to achieve a scale in keeping with the elevated hill site and create an organic structure sympathetic to the surroundings. On maturing, the work has integrated naturally with the landscape - so much so that even local people feel it has always been there, and it is often assumed to be an ancient hill-fort rather than a contemporary artwork.
- SOURCE (may contain spoilers to answers!)
Getting this EarthCache
To 'find' this EarthCache, please send me the answers to the following questions, by emailing or messaging via my geocaching profile. Please do not include your answers in your log, or your log will be deleted. Logs for which I have not received the answers may also be removed if there is insufficient evidence that you have visited the site.
- Describe the look and feel of the stones.
- What type of stone would you guess the 'fort ruins' are made from, given your previous answer?
- What signs of weathering do the stones show? (i.e. how have the stones been damaged and/or worn by the weather by long-term exposure?)
- Why do you think that this type of stone was good for supporting an old bridge?
- Given your previous two answers, why do you think that the stone was removed from supporting the bridge?
- Describe the view that you can see when standing next to the highest stones.
When sending your answers, please also let me know if you would like me to send you a copy of the actual answers!
Please feel free to take a photograph of you and/or your GPSr either at the top of the sculpture or with the sculpture in the background and include it with your log or send it with your answers. This is not a required step, but it's always nice to see cachers enjoying the area!
While you're there...
...why not grab a traditional cache? GCAV44F - LQ: TYNE & WEAR - FIVE BOROUGHS, by TmGrandemotte, is within easy walking distance of this EarthCache!
...why not log a Waymark? My Waymark WM1AF73 - The Windy Nook - Gateshead, UK is in the same location!
Note: The page for this Waymark contains a spoiler for one of the answers!
What is a Waymark?: A waymark is a single real-world location, rather than a physical container. They can be viewed and logged on waymarking.com, a website by the same company as Geocaching.