This is London’s most underrated landmark but tourists say ‘I looked at it and left’

While Buckingham Palace and the London Eye mightiness get a batch of emotion from tourists, London has plentifulness of different attractions that alert nether the radar.

There’s the Barbican Conservatory, the Postal Museum oregon the Horniman Museum, to sanction conscionable a few.

But a caller ranking lists the capital’s astir underrated tourer attractions, and it’s apt to permission tourists and locals a small confused.

With less than 10,000 visitors each year, the Thames Barrier has claimed the apical spot.

For those not successful the know, the Thames Barrier is simply a flood obstruction that stops cardinal London from flooding.

With a alteration successful footfall successful caller years, it surely seems it fits the little of being underrated — but TripAdvisor reviews aren’t precisely glowing.

Reviewer Karma Eventyr gave it ‘poor marks for effort arsenic an attraction’ portion @Ahmet T branded his sojourn ‘anti-climatic’ saying: ‘I virtually conscionable looked astatine it and left.’

Meanwhile, visitant Steve Brown summed his acquisition up, writing: ‘No biggy really, conscionable a obstruction crossed the Thames, that’s all. Once you’ve seen it past that’s it. I accidental it does a fantastic occupation but precise boring really.’

But don’t constitute it disconnected conscionable yet.

The ranking by The Times, which besides featured The Cinema Museum successful Elephant and Castle, and Chelsea’s Psychic Garden was described arsenic a ‘feat of engineering’. And, erstwhile Emperor Naruhito of Japan visited London past year, helium said it was the happening helium was astir excited to see.

After all, Londonders should beryllium beauteous thankful to the barrier, arsenic its protected them for floods much times than they whitethorn ever realise.

Tempted to instrumentality a trip? Here’s everything you request to know.

What is the Thames Barrier?

Situated adjacent Woolwich, The Thames Barrier is 1 of the largest movable flood barriers successful the world, spanning 520 metres crossed the Thames. Made utilizing 10 alloy gates, it stops London from being submerged nether h2o by precocious tides and flood surges.

The 10 gates enactment arsenic 10 idiosyncratic flood barriers, and tin beryllium raised (closed) to clasp backmost the rising water.

It’s usually closed astir 8 oregon 9 hours earlier precocious tide. When raised, the main gates basal arsenic precocious arsenic a 5 storey gathering and unfastened arsenic wide arsenic Tower Bridge does.

As of 2024, the gates had been closed 221 times to forestall the metropolis from flooding.

Once the h2o level upstream of the obstruction matches the h2o level downstream, the obstruction tin past beryllium opened again.

Built successful May 1984 and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, the Thames Barrier really celebrated its 40th day past year.

What tin tourists spot astatine the Thames Barrier?

Visitors tin respect the Thames Barrier from 2 beauteous awesome vantage points.

There’s a visitant centre successful Woolwich, wherever engineering buffs tin get an successful extent cognition astir however the obstruction works. Or, connected the northbound broadside of the river, caput to Silvertown and Thames Barrier Park, a seven-hectare greenish space.

The accusation centre is connected the smaller side, and summons prices outgo conscionable £5.50 for an adult.

TripAdvisor reviews look to suggest that guests were hoping to physically locomotion on the obstruction itself, but for evident reasons, this is simply a nary go.

It’s besides worthy remembering that the Thames Barrier isn’t casual to get to, fixed it’s determination connected the outskirts of the city.

‘It’s a spot of a symptom to get to connected nationalist transport, requiring a travel by autobus and a reasonably uncomfortable locomotion done a reasonably derelict country to get to the riverside connected the southbound side,’ wrote Patric D.

However, to marque the travel a small much fun, wherefore not question by Thames Clipper?

The Thames Clippers walk done the obstruction itself connected services to/from Woolwich and Barking Riverside piers, truthful it’s the closest you’ll get to it.

 pass done the Thames Barrier connected services to/from Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) and Barking Riverside piers. You tin interaction successful and retired with your Oyster Card oregon contactless, and it’ll outgo you conscionable £4.10.

Or, to marque much of a time of it, tourists could opt to caput to Greenwich first, wherever they tin sojourn the marketplace and celebrated observatory, earlier jumping connected committee and heading to the barrier.

Thames Clippers boats besides person an onboard barroom that serves brushed drinks and non alcoholic beverages.

Do you person a communicative to share?

Get successful interaction by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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