Plans are mounting for The Monument in London to receive a £1.5 million refurbishment, which includes opening up Sir Christopher Wren’s underground laboratory for the first time in decades. Standing over 200 feet tall and originally opened in 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London, Sir Christopher Wren and Dr Robert Hooke designed the tower to double as a telescope. It is planned that visitors will be able to look into the chamber than these esteemed minds sat and peered into the night sky.
At present a grate looking down into the chamber is covered by a left-luggage locker.
A new two-storey visitor centre is estimated would raise an extra £500,000 each year from tourists. The 1,200sq ft visitor centre will be wrapped around the existing pavilion, with extra space for exhibits, shops and corporate events. The capacity of the tower would also be increased.
Councillors will make a decision today whether to fund a £15,000 study to assess whether to go ahead with the project.
