Giant female nude statue is made from coal waste

A reclining female nude made from waste rock from a closed coal mine was opened in England by Princess Anne on Monday.

The $4.7 million statue is 34 metres high and made from 1.5 million tonnes of earth.

The material was leftover mine waste from a coal mine in Shotton, Northumberland.

The statue, named Northumberlandia, will be the centrepiece of a public park. The statue is hard to make out from the ground but can be better seen from the air.

Visitors will be able to clamber over Northumberlandia.

The local region hopes the statue will become a tourist attraction.

Visit Northumberlandia to see a slide show.

Image of reclining Northumberlandia by AWhiteC. Overhead shot Northumberlandia