Artworks created for Tour of Britain's visit to Northumberland shortlisted for award - here's how to vote

Bikes painted on the village green below the majestic Bamburgh Castle and in a farmer’s field just outside Berwick are among eight finalists in the OVO Energy Tour of Britain’s 2019 National Land Art Competition.

The Bamburgh bike was created by the castle’s maintenance manager, Andrew Heeley. He measured out and designed the 60m x 40m bike. Then, with another of the castle team staff, Rob Turner, created the bike, assisted by volunteers from the village.

Castle owner Francis Watson Armstrong said: “What a brilliant result for Bamburgh to reach the finals! We’re calling for people to vote for our Big Bamburgh Bike which certainly captured the hearts and minds of so many people and harnessed the spirit of the Tour of Britain.”

The Berwick bike was created free-hand by Berwick Wheelers in Jan Gray’s farm. The piece was approximately 220m high, with a total circumference of approximately one mile. There was no GPS involved in its making.

The team got the dimensions of the field and created a scale sketch of a bike on paper. They worked out measurements of the bike through marking points on the ground, using wood, rope, pegs and a detailed eye – and even a bit of Pythagoras – to locate where the sections of a bike would be and what size they would need to be.

They even created the wheels through marking out the radius with pegs at four key points (like points on a clock). Once all markings were set out, the grass was mowed, the key areas were sprayed with weed killer and the piece was formed.

A Tour of Britain spokesman said: “We have had an amazing array of land art creations across our eight days of racing and we want to thank each and every one of the communities out across the UK that took the time to design, create and carry out their pieces.

“The judging is now over to you, the public, to select the 2019 champion.”

To vote visit www.tourofbritain.co.uk/vote-for-the-2019-national-land-art-competition-winners/