Stonehenge in Wiltshire, UK has been shortlisted in a competition to find the new seven wonders of the world.
If the stone circle in Wiltshire – the only British landmark in the final 21 sites chosen – makes the final seven, it could offer another boost to British tourism.
The original Seven Ancient Wonders of the World were all chosen in 200BC but now only one of the seven remains – the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The New 7 Wonders of the World campaign – launched in 2000 by film producer, author and aviator Bernard Weber – aims to update the list and its expert architectural panel has created the shortlist from nominations proposed by 19 million votes collected worldwide.
The panel is chaired by former director general of UNESCO, Professor Dr Federico Mayor and includes leading British architect Zaha Hadid.
Alongside Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza make the new list as does Sydney Opera House, the Acropolis in Athens, the Colosseum in Rome, Macchu Picchu in Peru, France’s Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal in India and the Kremlin in Moscow.
VisitBritain’s Elliott Frisby said the organisation hopes the British public will show its support for Stonehenge. “VisitBritain certainly believes that Stonehenge deserves to be in the final seven,” he said.
“With more than 800,000 visitors every year, Stonehenge is one of Britain’s most popular attractions and a place in the list would be further proof that Britain’s heritage has global importance and appeal.
“We hope that everyone who loves this remarkable and iconic landmark will vote for it as a new Seven Wonder.”
Last July, plans for a £67.5m visitor centre and access scheme at Stonehenge were turned down by Salisbury District Council because of concerns about the effect on the environment and the government’s plans to review a scheme to create a tunnel for the nearby A303, because of a rise in costs.
The planning application included proposals for creating a new education and interpretation centre, which would be linked to Stonehenge via a land train, and a scheme to remove the visual impact and noise of roads and traffic.
The 21 shortlisted landmarks were announced on 1 January 2006 and now go forward for a final year of public voting before the Official Declaration of the New 7 Wonders of the World takes place on 1 January 2007. Details: www.new7wonders.com
