Britain's "Eiffel Tower" Was To Be 1200 Ft In Height

A few days ago, we talked about how Eiffel Tower is being fitted with wind turbines that are capable of providing clean energy for its entire first floor. Well, as it turns out, the realm on the other side of the English Channel had plans of its own to construct a British version of the eminent Eiffel Tower, but with an even taller profile than Paris’s famed landmark. The proposal made in 1889, was pushed and commissioned by one British Parliament member (and railway entrepreneur) named Edward Watkin – and all of the resultant 68 designs were conceptually at least 200 ft higher than the Eiffel Tower.

But the design that stood out (and was eventually selected) to be built pertained to entry number 37 pictured above. Christened as the Watkin’s Wembley Park Tower, the design was grandiosely envisaged as a 1200 ft tall structure that would have boasted of a massive central hall and a full fledged 90-room hotel. Unfortunately, Watkin’s tower was only constructed till the level of 150 ft before it went into the territory of financial troubles. Even its patronage support was thwarted when Edward Watkin breathed his last in 1901. This incomplete structure was finally demolished in 1907, and ultimately made way for the Wembley Stadium, the traditional home of the English football (soccer) team.