30-04-2025
First passengers ride divisive Weymouth beach observation wheel
An observation wheel on a beach has taken its first 26m (85ft)-tall Turkish-made ferris wheel has been built on sand at Weymouth, Dorset, promising spectacular views of the Jurassic Coast until on social media have called it a "monstrous intrusion" and an "eyesore", while other residents have said it "blends with the horizon" and "looks great".Peter Harriman, who was one of the first passengers on Tuesday, said he loved the experience.
Mr Harriman said: "I loved it. It gives you views out over the Pavilion, out over towards Greenhill and then over the South Dorset Downs towards Dorchester and Chickerell."It's shiny, it's huge and the Perspex glass is perfectly fine to see through."Another passenger, Dawn, who rode the attraction on her wheelchair in an accessible pod, said: "I thought it was marvellous. Absolutely marvellous."
One of the wheel's operators, Sara Hall, said she was keen to respond to social media concerns about the wheel's said: "We researched that there's wheels built all over the world on sand. "We had the HSE [Health and Safety Executive] here for a few days and loads of checks on it... Safety is our priority."
In 2019, another observation attraction in Weymouth - Jurassic Skyline - closed due to falling visitor 53m-high (174ft) rotating viewing platform opened in June 2012 in time for that summer's Olympic sailing latest attraction is slighter smaller than the 30m (98ft) Bournemouth Big Wheel and is dwarfed by the London Eye which stands at 135m (443ft).
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