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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

Pictured
By Carl Stroud
17th November 2016, 11:54 am
Updated: 18th November 2016, 12:16 pm

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 become

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Piles of rotten wood lie heaped on ground that was once thronged by holidaymakers

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An aerial view shows the shattered shell of Birnbeck Pier’s East Pavillion

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.

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.
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A postcard shows the pier in its prime with Victorian holidaymakers enjoying the attraction

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The pier was a smart seaside destination before years of neglect took their toll

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Weeds grow inside the toilets on Birnbeck Pier which would have been used by day-tripping Victorian ladies

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Roof beams lie exposed as whole areas of the East Pavilion expose themselves to the mercy of the elements

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Inside the East Pavilion roof timbers lie tangled on the ground

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The remains of an organ sits inside the East Pavilion which would have once echoed to the sound of music

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Ivy, brambles and weeds grow among the shattered remains of the pier near Weston-super-Mare

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A boiler, believed to have fallen from the roof section lays rusting in the East Pavilion

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Rubble and fallen masonry on the floor between the East and West Pavilions and concrete viewing deck on Birnbeck Pier

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The scarred landscape of the pier lies in stark contrast to the beauty of the Somerset coast

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A dangerous hole is covered with a rusty fence to the side of the East and West Pavilions on Birnbeck Pier

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Seen through the windows of the Victorian turnstyle booth is the North Jetty, which is now condemned and highly dangerous,

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The entrance to the East Pavilion is an echo of its former grandeur

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Broken roof beams look like matchsticks in an aerial view of the devastation

 
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The pier can be seen in the background as children frolic on the sand in snap taken around 1910

Rex Features
The East Pavilion and clock tower can be seen in all their former glory

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A clock tower remains standing for the moment next to a viewing deck

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A sign warning urban explorers points towards the crumbling and dangerous Main Pier on Birnbeck Pier

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Birnbeck Pier is unique among British piers in that it links from the mainland to an island

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Visitors are prevented from gaining access to the main pier due to safety concerns

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Birnbeck Pier proved hugely popular with visitors on its opening in 1876

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The dilapidated pier is now a blight on the landscape of the Somerset coast

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Weeds grow beneath rusty and ornate Victorian ironwork pillars on the side of the East Pavilion on Birnbeck Pier

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