Tourists confused as hole in wall ranked top attraction in UK town

England is brimming with tourist attractions and historic landmarks, attracting visitors far and wide. You've got the Tower of London, Hadrian's Wall, Stonehenge... and now, the true wonder of the world: a hole in a Derbyshire wall.

Crowned one of the most visited points of interest in Ilkeston, the 'NatWest Hole' has been likened to the Eiffel Tower, with one urging the French to rebrand their iron monument as "the NatWest Hole of Paris".

As for how and why it's there, a NatWest spokesperson confirmed it was a part of a mid-1990s refurb to stop people lurking while others use the cash machine.

British humour is a beautiful thing, demonstrated by the hilarious spoof reviews of the glorious hole online.

One passionate visitor called it a " true monument to the architectural ingenuity and skill of the Erewash Building and Design Committee."

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Tripadvisor

Another "booked tickets from Korea" and hailed it an "unforgettable experience." They added, "the NatWest hole has to be the most awe-inspiring structure I have ever seen."

Meanwhile, an emotional tourist heard "the cries of delight as people experience the hole for the first time" from the neighbouring towns of Heanor and Eastwood.

They humoured: "Smiling children can frolic and play, climbing in and out of the glorious brickwork, an experience which undoubtedly makes everyone feel one step closer to God."

iStock/Tripadvisor

The reviews got so out of hand that Tripadvisor once had to suspend users from spamming the landmark with sarcasm.

In 2020, the Derbyshire town jokes snowballed, forcing the travel platform to issue a warning.

"Due to a recent event that has attracted media attention and has caused an influx of review submissions that do not describe a first-hand experience, we have temporarily suspended publishing new reviews for this listing," they wrote.

"If you've had a first-hand experience at this property, please check back soon – we're looking forward to reading your review!"

The NatWest Hole soon made its way onto Reddit forums – and some simply missed the joke.

"It's just a hole in the wall; I don't get it," one user penned. "Why is it a tourist attraction? Why are the reviews like this?"

The NatWest Hole currently has four 'terrible' reviews, and while the majority were still poking fun at it, one complained about it being a wind trap that "managed to whip my crispy new tenner out of my clutch."

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.