For the first time, the Greenwich Observatory has started charging £10 for visitors to stand astride the famous meridian line, but this might be backfiring.
The line which is the official 0 degree longitude has been a favourite of tourists for many years with 1000s having their photos taken standing with one foot on the east of the earth and one foot on the west.
To help maintain the line and the courtyard around it, the Greenwich Observatory have imposed a £10 per year charge for anyone wanting to step foot in the courtyard.
Going by photos posted on The Greenwich Phantom blog on the first day of charging, it seems the plan might have slightly backfired.
(original image on The Greenwich Phantom blog)
The pictures show the courtyard completely empty, but other pictures of the Greenwich Observatory show that people are instead opting to stand on the line just outside the courtyard.
The picture at the top of this article shows what the area normally looked like before the charges were introduced.
Whether this trend will continue we’ll have to wait and see, but if initial trends continue, the observatory might have to re-think the plan or at least drop the price a little.
