VIDEO: Sparks fly as Man Engine brings mechanical majesty to Wentworth

The Man Engine made a dramatic appearance on the front lawn of Wentworth Woodhouse on Sunday in front of an awed crowd and blazing sun.

PART man, part machine — all spectacular.

The largest mechanical puppet ever constructed in Britain — a 36ft tall machine-powered miner — stopped off in South Yorkshire as part of a tour of industrial areas around the country.

Created to mark the tenth anniversary of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape being added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, the JCB-mounted machine marionette is the centrepiece of a half-hour open-air theatre performance, which relates the travails and tragedies of pit workers underground and celebrates the area’s iron and coal industrial heritage. 

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The historic feel of Sunday’s show — which culminated in a firework display and echoed an after-dark performance at Elsecar Heritage Centre the previous evening — was enhanced by vintage vehicles, a wartime aeroplane, traditional garden games, a helter skelter, folk music and spoken word.

It was brought to South Yorkshire by Great Place Wentworth and Elsecar, which is leading a series of events exploring the two villages’ social and industrial history.

 

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