Officials’ embarrassing mistake on Primrose Hill viewfinder, as London skyline is mislabelled

Chief Executive of the Royal Parks Linda Lennon and Judy Hillman from the Friends of Regent's Park and Primrose Hill cut the ribbon on the new plaque Archant

An embossed metal sign on the top of Primrose Hill had to be taken down because officials mislabelled London landmarks – and residents say the replacement will still be wrong.

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Caledonian Clock Tower mislabelled as Holloway Prison on viewfinder

The viewfinder, which shows the city skyline from the top of the famous park, was put up in June but was removed a few months later because visitors said dates were incorrect and buildings were misnamed.

Primrose Hill resident John Reiss was one of many to notice the embarrassing blunder and was in touch with the Royal Parks authority. He explained that a block of council flats and the Caledonian Clock Tower was mistakenly described as Holloway Prison.

Mr Reiss suggested that the “incompetent official” who commissioned the sign should be responsible for the £800 it will take to correct the mistake.

He said: “The view over this great city from the top of Primrose Hill never fails to excite me.

“That the Royal Parks authority is so stupid as to commission a cast metal sign of the key landmarks in this great panorama without having it checked independently, beggars belief.”

He added: “At the end of the day no one died – there are just a lot of confused tourists – and hopefully the incompetent official can have his or her pay docked to cover the replacement.”

There is also debate over the dates the Royal Parks authority chose for the building of St Mark’s Church and the Houses of Parliament, attributed as 1860 although some say they weren’t fully completed until 1870.

However, officials are upholding their decision.

Chairman of the Friends of Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, Malcolm Kafetz said: “We told them, there is no way that they can put absolute dates on the viewfinder. We said they had to put ‘circa’ which means around and they completely ignored it. It’s completely stupid. We’re so fed up.”

Ruth Holmes, head of landscape for Royal Parks, said: “The Primrose Hill interpretation panel shows St Mark’s Church dated 1858 – the date when the vicar was appointed five years after the consecration of the nave.

“The Houses of Parliament are dated 1860, which is the date the Victoria Tower was finished.

“The company who designed and researched the panel are organising for The Clock Tower Caledonian Park to be inscribed onto the Primrose Hill interpretation panel. The tower had been misattributed.

“The responsibility for the cost of manufacturing and reinstalling one new section of the interpretation panel is still under discussion.”

She added: “The panel will be reinstated by the end of November, allowing London’s visitors to plot famous landmarks on the spectacular view of the capital’s skyline.”