Man Engine: Colossal mining puppet to march across Cornwall
The largest mechanical puppet ever constructed in the UK will start striding across Cornwall this afternoon.
The 10-metre "man engine" is setting off on a two-week journey starting at Tavistock and ending at the Geevor tin mine.
The puppet is three times taller than a double decker bus, but engineers behind the project have gone through great lengths to keep its appearance under wraps - even using a top-secret location for testing.
The unique project was commissioned to mark the tenth anniversary of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape being added to the list of World Heritage Sites.
The part man, part machine will be accompanied by theatrical shows created by a team of more than a dozen ‘miners’ and ‘bal-maidens’. They'll help animate the puppet into a giant miner during his travels.