London’s “worst tourist attraction” closes after just six months
A London tourist attraction described as the city’s “worst attraction” has closed after operating for just six months.
Despite costing a reported $11.3 million (£6 million), the Marble Arch Mound closed its doors on January 9 after becoming a source of widespread mockery online.
Tickets - costing up to $15 (£8) - began to sell for free ahead of its impending closure on the Mound’s official website.
In a series of posts on Twitter, journalist Jacob Phillips recounted the attraction’s journey from an exciting premise to an underwhelming, unfinished site.
Construction of the ill-fated attraction on the corner of Hyde Park and Oxford Street was overseen by Westminster Council, who hoped it would bring people back to the area, which was struggling due to COVID-19.
It promised to have sweeping greenery and views of the city, as well as a light exhibition and cafe inside.
However, the Mound was still unfinished when it opened on July 26. Scaffolding used to construct the attraction was still visible, plants began dying, and the light installation and cafe were noticeably absent.
Visitors soon began sharing their underwhelming experiences online, including a review written by Dan Barker for The Critic, who described the Mound as a little soulless.
Barker also compared The Mound to “that famous Christian Ronaldo statue” - referencing the sculpture of the soccer star which failed to capture any of his features - rather than “Michelangelo’s David”.
Another user shared their experience visiting the Mound, writing that it was “the worst thing I’ve ever done in London”.
According to Phillips, the site closed after just two days after council workers attempted to improve the Mound’s appearance - but their efforts “were in vain”.
“At this stage the mound went viral for being pretty much just a slag heap,” he wrote.
When news of its closure broke, many bid farewell to the Mound while remarking on its cost to taxpayers.
“So farewell then the Marble Arch Mound, / That cost Westminster taxpayers six million pound,” writer and journalist Andrew Scott posted, under the pen name Otto English.
“Cost £6 million. Attracted 250,000 visitors. (But did even ONE visitor come to London because of it?),” author Edwin Hayward wrote.
“So that’s £24 a head. Dire expenditure by the local council, despite their protestations.”
Despite the many critics, some tried to defend the Mound before its closure.
Tony Devenish, a Conservative Assembly Member for Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea, said the attraction helped during a dire time.
“The reality of the Marble Arch Mound is that it drove footfall at a time when the West End was trying desperately to protect jobs and recover from the impact of Covid,” he said.
Image: @Jacob_LDR (Twitter)