London Eye
The South Bank of the River Thames plays host to one of the top 10 tourist hotspots that Brits are fond of – the 443 ft London Eye. This ferris wheel is the tallest cantilevered ferris wheel in the world, and the tallest ferris wheel in the Western Hemisphere. Tony Blair had opened the wheel on 31 December 1999 but it only opened to the public in March 2000.
Its other name is the Millennium Wheel because it had been intended to start operating on millennium eve. It comprises 32 sealed pods that have seats, and are air-conditioned. Each pod can hold 24 people.
The London Eye tries to make disabled guests' access as easy as possible: there is wheelchair access and toilets for disabled guests.
Besides its entertainment value – visitors to the Eye can see for as far as 25 miles – there are other features to the Eye, as some call it. The 3 London Eye Educational Programmes – London Eye Flight, School Discovery Flight with commentary, and London Eye River Cruise – teach pupils about the history of London landmarks.
It initially had only 5 years planning permission; however, its designers and developers hope the structure will remain on the bank of the River Thames for a long time.
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