Visitors to Northumberlandia in Cramlington asked to stick to paths or volunteer team will have to 'fence the sculpture off'

Well-known landform sculpture Northumberlandia, in Cramlington, is maintained entirely by Northumberland Wildlife Trust estates officer Peter Ernst and a small team of volunteers.

Members of the public have been trampling the side of the sculpture instead of using the paths, resulting in considerable damage that Peter and his team must repair.

Peter said: “I know it is quicker for people to walk up the side of the sculpture rather than using the paths which take longer, but they really are causing damage to its structure which was not designed for people clambering up the side.

“We do not want to have to fence the sculpture off from visitors, so we are repeating an earlier request for people to use the paths and to keep off the mounds.

“That way the land will have the chance to recover.”

The 100ft high and quarter mile long sculpture, which looks like a reclining lady when viewed from above, has been visited by over 100,000 people.

There have been reports of visitors pushing buggies up the side of the mound and of sliding down the steepest part of the sculpture.

Resulting damage will now take years to repair, hence the wildlife charity’s appeal for the public to keep off the grass, allow the damage to be repaired, and prevent the structure from becoming fenced off.

This follows the “mindless dumping” and setting alight of 225 litres of cooking oil at the Northumberlandia carpark, which Northumberland Wildlife Trust then had to dispose of.