please empty your brain below
Seemed to me to be a flawed idea from the start.

It's a great shame that you can't go to the top of Post Office/BT Tower any more - that was always a pretty good view with visits showing the evolving London skyline.

Rob Gullen | 21.08.21 - 7:46 a.m. | #

Looking at Marble Arch from above it has skylights? Is there something up there, I always naively assumed it was a solid lump of stone. Nice write up, thanks.

dg writes: "Three small rooms inside the rebuilt arch were used as a police station from 1851 until at least 1968." (Wikipedia)

Kevin | 21.08.21 - 7:56 a.m. | #

Westminster council seem to like spending money on un-useful things at Marble Arch. The present scaffold tower which cost several million, and a few years ago closing and filling in the excellent and useful subways across Park Lane and Edgware Road which included a Tube entrance at Speakers Corner and public conveniences.

John | 21.08.21 - 8:20 a.m. | #

I visited last Sunday, and had a similar experience, including not having my ticket checked. I enjoyed building spotting from the top - I think I got most of them, although the view you get of those around the Houses of Parliament and the Eye is made strange by the direction the river is running at that point. Most people seemed to be enjoying themselves, although one party were getting a bit indignant about a dying tree. I thought it was well worthwhile if you like looking at London from on high, and don’t have to pay…

Baldassaro | 21.08.21 - 8:35 a.m. | #

Thanks DG.

Kevin | 21.08.21 - 9:22 a.m. | #

It's not a part of London I ever find myself in, so really need to make the effort to pop over to do it when I'm next in town.

Cornish Cockney | 21.08.21 - 9:44 a.m. | #

The green dome across Hyde Park is probably the Collcutt tower at Imperial College -- the last remnant of the Imperial Institute.

jack hopkins | 21.08.21 - 9:57 a.m. | #

I walked past on Thursday just to see what the fuss was about. I hadn't realised they no longer charged or else I might have tried getting in, but not bothered that I didn't.

Personally I preferred the location when it was just grass, especially as they removed the excellent sculpture "Still Water" - the horse's head - to a new spot near Hyde Park Corner to make space for this.

Mikey C | 21.08.21 - 10:32 a.m. | #

I used to work at Marble Arch station so have fond memories. It’s typical they’ve built something that I’d probably have liked now that I’m not there.
All I had was the original Winter Wonderland when it was just an ice rink, and the wooden theatre - give or take a few sculptures. I remember the jelly babies and horse’s head quite well.

Rob Healy | Homepage | 21.08.21 - 4:08 p.m. | #

Yes the dome topped tower is the Queens Tower at Imperial College a remnant of a building designed by Collcut. You can see the Queens Tower from Hyde Park without climbing the scaffolding hill.

John | 21.08.21 - 4:18 p.m. | #

Took my family today (Saturday), having pre-booked when free tickets were made available. It was about as busy as in your photos and they didn't check our tickets. Could have been the damp weather but I doubt it.

We enjoyed it enough, and it was a good excuse to go to the Marble Arch area which we don't do very often, so had a wonder round to see some other things nearby afterwards.

I think the problem was that the Council decided what they wanted, decided when they wanted it, and so charged ahead - cutting the spec to hit the deadline. Happens all the time to projects. In hindsight, if they'd decided to just make a scaffolding structure they could have done something more interesting with a variety of views. It was certainly a shame that there wasn't a good view down Oxford Street.

Peter of London | 21.08.21 - 4:23 p.m. | #

It looks great from your photos.

cau1khead | 21.08.21 - 4:27 p.m. | #

Why call it the Marble Arch Mound when you could revive the Tyburn Scaffold?

HTFB | 21.08.21 - 5:30 p.m. | #

You can also see the Empress State Building, which means it’s a view with both remaining revolving restaurants (now bars) in the UK.

Chris | Homepage | 21.08.21 - 9:31 p.m. | #

The Grand Old Duke of York comes to mind, constructing a pointless artificial hill upon which his men can carry out their legendary but pointless manoeuvres - and the public can now join in! At least, for the moment, it's free!

ActonMan | 22.08.21 - 8:26 a.m. | #

I think a big problem is that the mound looks a lot more impressive in the computer model/artist's impression that was circulating in advance of the construction, with verdant foliage, ample trees and subtle lighting effects. Perhaps this is what it will look like after it has 'bedded in' (though I doubt it). I wonder if this contrast would have been clear with the Garden Bridge as well. Nevertheless, for a now free-to-visit attraction it sounds quite interesting.

James | 22.08.21 - 3:40 p.m. | #

In entirely unsurprising news, the mound is now to retain free admission until it closes in January.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 01.09.21 - 12:52 p.m. | #











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