Birnbeck Pier
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Birnbeck Pier is a pier in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England. It is situated on the Bristol Channel approximately 18 miles (28 km) south west of Bristol.
The grade II* listed pier was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened in 1867. It is the only pier which links the mainland to an island just off shore. The pier was badly damaged by storms in 1990 and was closed for safety reasons in 1994. It continues to decline and as a consequence English Heritage have placed it on the Buildings at Risk Register. [1]
Since 1882 Birnbeck Island has been home to the two Weston-super-Mare inshore lifeboats operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). However, the poor state of repair of the pier means that the lifeboat is currently looking at alternative locations and has recently been operating from the River Axe at Uphill.
In 1941 the pier was taken over by the Admiralty. It was commissioned as HMS Birnbeck and was used for secret weapons testing.[2]
In 2006 the pier was sold to new owners, Bristol company Urban Splash. The people of Weston-super-Mare are waiting to see the company's plans for the future of the pier, the island and its buildings.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Birnbeck Pier. English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register. Retrieved on January 7, 2007.
- ^ Birnbeck Pier. The Heritage Trail. Retrieved on January 7, 2007.
- ^ Boyhood joy led to pier purchase. BBC News. Retrieved on January 7, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Birnbeck Pier website
- Friends of the Old Pier Society
- Photos and account of a visit to the derelict Birnbeck Pier
- RNLI Weston Lifeboat
- BBC TV Inside Out article on Birnbeck Pier
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