New Celtic Cross at Saltash, Cornwall.
An iconic monument has been erected at the gateway to Cornwall. In the form of a Celtic Cross standing 62 feet high, it is visible to travellers crossing from Devon to Cornwall on the Tamar Bridge at Saltash. The cross has been constructed by 10 people working under the direction of sculptor Simon Thomas in an aircraft hangar at Newquay Cornwall Airport. It is made of the same materials as are used in the construction of boats and aircraft - a resin containing glass and carbon fibre - and has been assembled from 6000 individual pieces, no two identical, over 3 years. A stunning turquoise blue, it has been designed to look like weathered copper, one of the metals mined at nearby Caradon during the 19th century. This has been achieved by incorporating copper dust into the resin at the surface of the shaft. The head contains samples of other metals associated with Cornwall, such as tin. The £650,000 construction cost has been paid for by the Big Lottery Fund Community Spaces programme plus some local funding. It is hoped that the cross will become Cornwall’s answer to the Angel of the North, which it matches in height.
Size: 2994px × 4609px
Location: Saltash, Cornwall, UK
Photo credit: © John Husband / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: bridge, celtic, copper, cornish, cornwall, cross, saltash, tamar
