As we celebrate 20 years of the Iron Men on Crosby Beach, here’s 20 things you might not know

This week marks 20 years since the Iron Men arrived on Crosby Beach and in the last two decades Antony Gormley’s amazing ‘Another Place’ sculptures have been a massive part of our celebrations and windswept strolls.

Decked in footie scarves they’ve helped commemorate our cup and league successes and strung with tinsel they’ve announced to sea and shore that it’s Christmas.

In more reflective times, they’ve shared our secrets and been a focal point for our thoughts. 

The Iron Men were revealed to the public on July 1, 2005 – and even after 20 years, here’s 20 things you might not know …

1. There are 100 figures, each weighing 650kg – or 1,433lbs!
2. Each statue is 6ft 4in tall and made from 17 body casts of Antony Gormley himself.
3. Before they arrived here, the Iron Men were seasoned travellers – Another Place had been shown in Cuxhaven in Germany; Stavanger in Norway and De Panne, Belgium, before finding their forever home on the Sefton coast.
4. The Iron Men were erected at Crosby Beach as a temporary installation, but we loved them so much a public campaign was mounted to keep them here.
5. Two foundries cast the Iron Men – Hargreaves Foundry in Halifax, and Joseph and Jesse Siddons in West Bromwich.
6. Another Place was due to move to New York after Crosby.
7. The figures stretch across 3km of sand (or around 1.8 miles) with a distance between of around 150 and 250 paces.
8. Beneath every Iron Man is one-metre pile foundations to keep them securely in place on the beach.
9. It took contractors three weeks to lift every Iron Man into place.
10. Each sculpture is standing in a similar way, either carrying tension or relaxed in their postures.
11. Speaking in 2005, Antony Gormley said the installation was the poetic response to the individual and universal sentiments associated with emigration – sadness at leaving, but the hope of a new future in Another Place.
12. The movement of local tides and daily weather conditions dictate whether the figures are visible or submerged.
13. There isn’t a ‘best time’ to see the Iron Men. But, as a rough guide, if there is a tide of around 9-10 metres they will be submerged for an hour or so either side of the high tide and access to the beach isn’t possible. If the tide height is 7m most of the statues can be seen, and at 4m or lower all of the statues can be seen.
14. Like every popular tourist attraction, the Iron Men have a range from merchandise from mini statues to coasters and keyrings, t-shirts, posters, canvases and more.
15. Every Iron Man faces out to see towards the horizon.
16. They are not buried at a consistent depth. Some are partially buried in the sand, while others stand on the surface. 
17. The residual nubs of two casting rods remain on each chest.
18. Antony Gornley has said of Another Place: “What I couldn’t imagine was that Another Place would prove to be a resonator for the thoughts, feelings and hopes of so many people from Merseyside, the UK and the world.”
19. As well as being known as the Iron Men, the figures are lovingly referred to as ‘The Gormleys’.
20. The Iron Men are ‘related’ to the Angel of the North in Gateshead – another of Antony Gormley’s incredible creations.

Find out more about the Iron Men here.

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