London Eye - Your Guide to the London Eye
The London Eye is the world's highest observation wheel and offers passengers amazing views of Britain's capital city. As well as being one of the most visually striking structures in the world, the Eye offers you a new perspective on the city, taking guests on a 30 minute flight, 450 feet above the River Thames in 32 high tech fully enclosed capsules. On a clear day you can see for up to 25 miles. What better way to see all London has achieved than through the amazing perspectives offered by the London Eye.
From back when the Romans pitched up at the start of the millennium but one, right up to 1999, London has served its millions of visitors badly when it comes to offering a platform from which to view the great city.
The Eye stands a whopping 135 metres high on the South Bank between Waterloo and Westminster Bridges, right opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and provides stunning views over central London and beyond.
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The wheel of the London Eye turns once every 30 minutes, which is slow enough to allow passengers to get on and off the boarding platform (1) without it stopping.
On a clear day the highest point on the ride (2) gives views of about 25 miles in all directions.
The capsules (3) do not hang like the gondolas of the old type of big wheel, but rotate in mounting rings outside the wheel rim to give passengers the best unobstructed views.
The hub of the wheel (4) sits on top of the A-frame legs (5) and the forces are taken by 6 steel cables attached to a 1200 tonne block of concrete in the ground. The hub and spindle castings were made by Skoda Steel.
The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in London, England, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The site is adjacent to that of the former Dome of Discovery, which was built for the Festival of Britain in 1951.
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Designed by architects David Marks, Julia Barfield, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, Steven Chilton and Nic Bailey, the wheel carries 32 sealed and air-conditioned passenger capsules attached to its external circumference. Each capsule holds approximately 25 people, who are free to walk around inside the capsule, though seating is also provided. It rotates at 26 cm (10 in) per second (about 0.9 km/h (0.5mph) so that one revolution takes about 30 minutes. The wheel does not usually stop to take on passengers: the rotation rate is so slow that they can easily walk on and off the moving capsules at ground level. It is, however, stopped to allow disabled or elderly passengers time to embark and disembark safely.
History of the London Eye
It was formally opened by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, at 20:00 GMT on December 31, 1999, although it was not opened to the public until March 2000 because of technical problems. Since its opening, the Eye, operated by Merlin Entertainments but sponsored by British Airways, has become a major landmark and tourist attraction.
By July 2002, roughly 8.5 million people had ridden the Eye. It had planning permission only for five years, but at that time Lambeth Council agreed to plans to make the attraction permanent.
Since 1 January 2005, the Eye has been the focal point of London's New Year celebrations, with 10-minute fireworks displays taking place involving fireworks fired from the wheel itself.
In 2006 the Tussauds Group bought out the other two joint owners, British Airways and the Marks Barfield family (the lead architects). Following Merlin Entertainments purchase of the Tussauds Group in 2007, it now owns 100% of the Eye. British Airways continued its brand association, but from the beginning of 2008 the name 'British Airways' was dropped from the logo.
In 2008 it was announced that 30 million had ridden the London Eye since its opening in March 2000.
Getting to the London Eye
Nearest Tube: The nearest stations are Westminster (Exit 1 Westminster Pier) and Waterloo, which are both within 5 minutes walking distance.
From Waterloo mainline station, take exit 6 for the South Bank and follow the signs.
Buses: Bus routes to the British Airways London Eye include the 211, 24 and 11, and we are on most London Sightseeing tour bus routes.
Train: Waterloo International Station & Charing Cross Station
Car: We would advise customers against driving to the British Airways London Eye. If however you do decide to drive, there are 3 car parks at the South Bank Centre, accessible from Belvedere Road. These are Hungerford Bridge, The Hayward Gallery and the National Theatre car parks.
Coach: The coach drop off point is located on Belvedere Road behind the British Airways London Eye. Access to The Eye is then through Jubilee Gardens.
Disabled Access
British Airways London Eye has full disabled access. This includes a ramp and walkway into County Hall, which incorporates the Ticket Hall, toilet facilities and Costa Coffee.
The Eye itself also has full disabled access. Disabled guests may board at the base of the Eye on Queen's Walk where the access ramps are located. Members of staff will always be on hand to assist guests (if required). Unfortunately due to safety restrictions, only two wheelchairs per capsule and up to eight wheelchairs per time slot are allowed on The Eye.
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