Marble Arch Mound: London’s ‘worst attraction’ dismantled after £6 million ‘wasted’
Workmen are removing ill-fated attraction after public backlash
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Your support makes all the difference.Workers have started dismantling the Marble Arch mound after the tourist attraction was widely deemed an outrageous waste of money.
London’s ill-fated attraction hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons when it opened six months ago.
New photos show remnants of the £6 million artificial hill, which opened to the public in July unfinished, being stripped down after it failed to meet visitors’ expectations.
Within days of opening, the plants on the Mound’s grassy banks started dying and council workers were forced to pull late-night shifts to make sure it looked presentable.
Initially, the entry fee to the attraction was £8.00. Disappointed visitors complained about the exorbitant entry fee, including how the attraction failed to match the marketing hype of lush green hills with sweeping views of the city.
The venue temporarily shut to the public and re-opened in August with a reduced fee. Still, tourists were unhappy and mocked the site, dubbing it London’s ‘worst attraction’.
The New York Times wrote: “Londoners were promised a hill with a view. They got a pile of scaffolding.”
Tory-run Westminster City Council commissioned the project to boost domestic tourism, increase the footfall of the high street shoppers as covid restrictions eased and also offer views across London.
The council came under fire after it was revealed in August that the attraction, which was originally set to cost £2 million, had gone three times over budget.
The project saw a few resignations and elicited widespread fury.
One Hackney Cyclist wrote on Twitter, “The great Marble Arch mound, a modern wonder of the world.
“Westminster Council could have wasted millions on protected cycle tracks and low traffic neighbourhoods but thankfully we got some scaffolding covered in s*** for a few weeks instead.”
Marble Arch Mound closed to the public for good in January 2022. The dismantling is due to finish in May, this year.
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