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'Awe-inspiring' NatWest hole in wall joins Derbyshire town's Tripadvisor top attractions

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An “awe-inspiring” circular hole in a wall outside a bank has become a top tourist attraction after receiving rave reviews on Tripadvisor.

The hole beside a NatWest ATM in Ilkeston has received so many glowing reviews since December 2018 that “NatWest hole” is now ranked fourth out of 16 attractions in the town.

Tongue-in-cheek reviews compare the hole to world-famous sites such as the Taj Mahal or Eiffel Tower.

One person wrote: "The city of Agra has the Taj Mahal, Paris has the Eiffel Tower and Sydney has its Opera House.

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"But they all pale in comparison to the impact on the soul of first laying eyes on Ilkeston's Hole in the Wall."

One added that despite potentially needing to “queue for hours” it was “worth the wait”.

"Bring the kids, and no need to bring cash. This experience pays for itself. There is a bit of queue," another review joked.

One said visiting the “awe-inspiring structure” was an “unforgettable experience”.

The hole has a rating of 4.5 on Tripadvisor

Paul Miller, chairman of the Ilkeston and District History Society, told the BBC he was "gobsmacked" at the new-found interest in the hole

"It doesn't really say a lot about the area if it's number four," he said.

"It's beat Bennerley Viaduct.

"I think it looks like a 1970s idea of something to look different. It doesn't really beat the pyramids though does it?"

A NatWest spokeswoman told the broadcaster that the hole had been introduced during a mid-1990s refurbishment as a safety feature so people using the cash machine could see if anyone was lurking behind the wall.

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