Massive 'Man Engine' Puppet Embarks on Tour of Southwest England

— -- A massive mechanical puppet called the "Man Engine" was unveiled today at Tavistock, England where he will begin his tour of the Southwest part of the country to celebrate the area's mining history.

The "Man Engine" is the largest mechanical puppet ever constructed in Britain, according to the website of Balweyth Corninsh Mining, which built the giant "metal Cornish miner" that it describes as "part man, part machine."

The project celebrates the 10th anniversary of the recognition of the Cornish mining landscape, which has provided a mineral-rich collection of copper, tin, lead, silver, etc., as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Man Engine will embark on a 130-mile pilgrimage over the next two weeks and visit the areas of all 10 Cornish mining World Heritage sites, which include "engine houses, miners’ cottages, grand gardens and miles of labyrinthine underground tunnels."

The puppet crawls at 4.5 meter high (nearly 15 feet) but "transforms" to stand at over 10 meters (nearly 33 feet) high, according to its website.

Social media posts show crowds gathering to witness the Man Engine as it made the first few stops of its journey.