Industrial History Online
Birnbeck Pier
Key Words :- pier
Viewing the Site :- May 2026: The pier is closed for restoration but can be seen from the shore
Address :- Birkett Road, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, BS23
Grid Ref :- ST 30703 62481
Co-ordinates :- Lat 51.357156 , Long -2.996593
Local Authority :- North Somerset Council
Pre 1974 County :- Somerset
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II*
Historic England List No :- 1129718,
Site Condition :- Site under consideration for conservation
Site Dates :- 1867 -
Description and History of Site:-
Day (1987): 'Designed by Birch and opened in 1867, this structure extended to Birnbeck Island and 250ft beyond, providing a landing stage for passenger steamers. After gale damage in 1903 the original section beyond the island was removed.'
Falconer (1980): 'This pier is most unusual in that Eugenius Birch incorporated an island in its design. It was built by the Isca Iron Co of Newport in 1867 and consists of a 1,000 ft section on cast-iron columns from the mainland to Birnbeck Island and a further 200 ft metal girder landing section on iron piles. The island itself which carries amusement facilities, bars, a restaurant, a museum and a lifeboat station had to be levelled, stepped and bricked to form a suitable base. The pier with its small projecting bays and five iron ornamental lamp standards and decorative seating has an unrivalled Victorian charm.'
In May 2026, restoration is well under way
There is a Birnbeck Regeneration Trust and a Friends of the Old Pier Society
1864 Foundation stone laid
1867 Pier opened
1872 North jetty commissioned
1882 A lifeboat installed on the pier
1902 New lifeboat house commissioned
1903 Storm damage
1904 The Grand Pier was opened - a rival to Birnbeck Pier, which subsequently became known as the Old Pier
WWII Used by the War Office for weapons testing
1979 Last steamer sailed from the pier
1994 The pier closed on safety grounds
1998 Added to the National Heritage at Risk Register
2014 RNLI moved their operations off the pier
2024 Restoration began in 3 phases, starting with emergency works.
Further Reading and References:-
Adamson, Simon H. 'Seaside Piers'. Batsford, 1977
Falconer, Keith. 'Guide to England's Industrial Heritage'. Batsford, 1980
Buchanan, C A and R A: 'The Batsford Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Central Southern England'. Batsford, 1980
Sivewright, W J [ed]. 'Civil Engineering Heritage - Wales and Western England'. Institution of Civil Engineers, 1986
Day, Joan. 'A Guide to the Industrial Heritage of Avon'. Association For Industrial Archaeology, 1987
Terrell, Stan and McCann, Charles. 'Birnbeck Pier. A Short History'. Self published, 2024
https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2024-10-08/work-begins-to-restore-seaside-towns-dilapidated-pier
Help us improve this entry
Grid Ref :- ST 30703 62481
Co-ordinates :- Lat 51.357156 , Long -2.996593
Local Authority :- North Somerset Council
Pre 1974 County :- Somerset
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II*
Historic England List No :- 1129718,
Site Condition :- Site under consideration for conservation
Site Dates :- 1867 -
Day (1987): 'Designed by Birch and opened in 1867, this structure extended to Birnbeck Island and 250ft beyond, providing a landing stage for passenger steamers. After gale damage in 1903 the original section beyond the island was removed.'
Falconer (1980): 'This pier is most unusual in that Eugenius Birch incorporated an island in its design. It was built by the Isca Iron Co of Newport in 1867 and consists of a 1,000 ft section on cast-iron columns from the mainland to Birnbeck Island and a further 200 ft metal girder landing section on iron piles. The island itself which carries amusement facilities, bars, a restaurant, a museum and a lifeboat station had to be levelled, stepped and bricked to form a suitable base. The pier with its small projecting bays and five iron ornamental lamp standards and decorative seating has an unrivalled Victorian charm.'
In May 2026, restoration is well under way
There is a Birnbeck Regeneration Trust and a Friends of the Old Pier Society
1864 Foundation stone laid
1867 Pier opened
1872 North jetty commissioned
1882 A lifeboat installed on the pier
1902 New lifeboat house commissioned
1903 Storm damage
1904 The Grand Pier was opened - a rival to Birnbeck Pier, which subsequently became known as the Old Pier
WWII Used by the War Office for weapons testing
1979 Last steamer sailed from the pier
1994 The pier closed on safety grounds
1998 Added to the National Heritage at Risk Register
2014 RNLI moved their operations off the pier
2024 Restoration began in 3 phases, starting with emergency works.
Adamson, Simon H. 'Seaside Piers'. Batsford, 1977
Falconer, Keith. 'Guide to England's Industrial Heritage'. Batsford, 1980
Buchanan, C A and R A: 'The Batsford Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Central Southern England'. Batsford, 1980
Sivewright, W J [ed]. 'Civil Engineering Heritage - Wales and Western England'. Institution of Civil Engineers, 1986
Day, Joan. 'A Guide to the Industrial Heritage of Avon'. Association For Industrial Archaeology, 1987
Terrell, Stan and McCann, Charles. 'Birnbeck Pier. A Short History'. Self published, 2024
https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2024-10-08/work-begins-to-restore-seaside-towns-dilapidated-pier
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Contributor :- Robert Mason - 5 October 2023
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Robert Mason
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Robert Mason