Pictured
END OF THE PIER

Sad decline of majestic Somerset pier that was a booming holiday hotspot in its Victorian heyday

Rotting timbers and crumbling brickwork show dilapidated state of Birnbeck Pier which welcomed huge crowds at its height

A VICTORIAN pier that was a booming holiday hotspot in its heyday lies in ruins - a shattered shell of its former glory.

Rotting timbers, rusting ironwork and crumbling brickwork show its sad decline.

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Extensive damage to the roof and rusting iron columns indicate how dilapidated the East Pavilion has becomeCredit: PA:Press Association
Piles of rotten wood lie heaped on ground that was once thronged by holidaymakersCredit: PA:Press Association
An aerial view shows the shattered shell of Birnbeck Pier's East PavillionCredit: PA:Press Association

Unique Birnbeck Pier, on the North Somerset coastline at Weston-super-Mare, is the only British seaside pier that links the mainland to an island.

It was built between 1864 and 1876 and initially proved hugely popular with visitors.

At its height, it was the Victorian equivalent of a modern theme-park, with tourist attractions such as a water slide and fairground rides.

It was a major transportation link, with scheduled steam ship services arriving from and departing to destinations including Cardiff, Minehead, Ilfracombe and Lundy Island.

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The last of these sailings, by the MV Balmoral, took place in 1979.

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Since then, the pier has suffered a slow and steady decline in both popular attraction as well as in its general condition.

Its ownership has changed a number of times, with various multi-million pound development plans being proposed on each occasion.

A postcard shows the pier in its prime with Victorian holidaymakers enjoying the attractionCredit: Geoff Sheppard Collection Via Wikimedia Commons
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The pier was a smart seaside destination before years of neglect took their tollCredit: Rex Features
Weeds grow inside the toilets on Birnbeck Pier which would have been used by day-tripping Victorian ladiesCredit: PA:Press Association
Roof beams lie exposed as whole areas of the East Pavilion expose themselves to the mercy of the elementsCredit: PA:Press Association
Inside the East Pavilion roof timbers lie tangled on the groundCredit: PA:Press Association
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The remains of an organ sits inside the East Pavilion which would have once echoed to the sound of musicCredit: PA:Press Association
Ivy, brambles and weeds grow among the shattered remains of the pier near Weston-super-MareCredit: PA:Press Association
A boiler, believed to have fallen from the roof section lays rusting in the East PavilionCredit: PA:Press Association
Rubble and fallen masonry on the floor between the East and West Pavilions and concrete viewing deck on Birnbeck PierCredit: PA:Press Association
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The scarred landscape of the pier lies in stark contrast to the beauty of the Somerset coastCredit: PA:Press Association
A dangerous hole is covered with a rusty fence to the side of the East and West Pavilions on Birnbeck PierCredit: PA:Press Association
Seen through the windows of the Victorian turnstyle booth is the North Jetty, which is now condemned and highly dangerous,Credit: PA:Press Association
The entrance to the East Pavilion is an echo of its former grandeurCredit: PA:Press Association
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Broken roof beams look like matchsticks in an aerial view of the devastationCredit: PA:Press Association

 

The pier can be seen in the background as children frolic on the sand in snap taken around 1910Credit: Getty Images
The East Pavilion and clock tower can be seen in all their former gloryCredit: Rex Features
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A clock tower remains standing for the moment next to a viewing deckCredit: PA:Press Association
A sign warning urban explorers points towards the crumbling and dangerous Main Pier on Birnbeck PierCredit: PA:Press Association
Birnbeck Pier is unique among British piers in that it links from the mainland to an islandCredit: PA:Press Association
Visitors are prevented from gaining access to the main pier due to safety concernsCredit: PA:Press Association
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Birnbeck Pier proved hugely popular with visitors on its opening in 1876Credit: PA:Press Association
The dilapidated pier is now a blight on the landscape of the Somerset coastCredit: PA:Press Association
Weeds grow beneath rusty and ornate Victorian ironwork pillars on the side of the East Pavilion on Birnbeck PierCredit: PA:Press Association

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