Weston-Super-Mare Birnbeck Pier.....

Looks great in BIG

I could have put the brand new Grand Pier which was re-built at a cost of £25M but the old and derelict Birnbeck Pier has loads of Character but is well past it's sell by date and on the "Buildings at Risk" register.

I thought about putting Burnham Pier on here but at 117ft it's not that impressive either.

The Birnbeck Pier.
The foundation stone of this Birch-designed pier was laid in 1864. It opened on 5th June 1867 and consisted of a 1040 foot cantilever construction to Birnbeck Island and a short jetty extending westwards from the island.

1872 improvements included the 250 foot wooden north jetty. A lifeboat station was added in 1881 (the boathouse was built in 1889), and a pavilion in 1884. A tramway transported baggage from the steamers.

A fire damaged the main buildings on Boxing Day 1897, but the switchback escaped. The new pavilion and low water jetty opened in 1898. In 1902, a new lifeboat station was built. In 1903, the pier was closed after a gale damaged both jetties. The north jetty was rebuilt in steel to 300 foot and re-opened in 1904 but the low-water jetty remained closed until 1910 and lasted until 1932.

The opening of the Grand Pier's funfair caused the abandonment of Birnbeck Island amusements in 1933. The Admiralty took over the pier from 1941 to 1946 when it became known as 'HMS Birnbeck'. P&A Campbell ran the pier from 1962-1972, selling it to John Critchley a year after regular passenger steamer services ceased to call.

In 1989, ownership passed to Phil Stubbs who planned to restore the pier. But, by 1992, the pier was closed (other than for anglers) with financial problems having caused the abandonment of redevelopment plans.