Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare
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Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier is a pier in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England. It is situated on the Bristol Channel approximately 18 miles (29 km) south west of Bristol.
The privately-owned Grand Pier is one of three piers in the town together with Birnbeck Pier, which now stands derelict awaiting possible restoration and the Sealife Aquarium built towards the south end of the seafront.
The Pavilion at the end of the Grand Pier has been destroyed by fire on two occasions, 13 January 1930 and 28 July 2008.[1]
History
One of the last piers to be built, just after the death of Queen Victoria, the Grand Pier has been described as a large elaborate structure carrying a theatre and pavilion plus kiosks and shops. The pier is over 1,000 feet (300 m) long and is well placed in the centre of the town, close to the railway station and the main road system.
The pier was started in November 1903 and opened in June 1904. Six hundred iron piles had to be driven into the clay at the rate of eight to ten per day. A quarter of a mile of wooden decking was laid and the theatre 150 ft by 90 ft (46 m by 27 m) was constructed with seating for 2,000 people. The theatre had a similar capacity to the Bristol Hippodrome and was by all accounts well used.
One of the intentions of the company was to build a low water jetty to rival the Birnbeck Pier and have a share in the steamer trade. A low water extension was finished three years later from the back of the theatre that made the structure 6,600 feet (2,000 m) long. To carry boat passengers to the end of this jetty, an electric train was planned which ran from the tollgates, along the deck skirting the theatre and on to the boat jetty. However, Weston has such a large rise and fall of tide, the second greatest in the world, this jetty still did not reach the sea at low water and the landing stage was subject to strong currents in the unsheltered middle of the bay which made landing by the steamers a very tricky operation. Mr Campbell, the owner of the White funnel fleet and a shareholder, said that "it was difficult, unsatisfactory and dangerous to use". The low water extension which cost £20,000 was only used on two days in September 1907 and 6,538 passengers passed over it raising only £117 in fees.[citation needed]
In front of the theatre was a bandstand where regular performances by German, Viennese and military bands of the day were held.
The pier was the winner of the 2001 National Piers Society Pier of the Year award.
First fire
The theatre along with a large amount of decking was destroyed by fire on 13 January 1930. Just as darkness was falling, flames were seen under the pavilion and soon huge flames, which were visible for miles around, were leaping into the sky. The first fire engine soon arrived but had to send for more hose pipe. Crowds of people gathered to watch the spectacle from the seafront. In the Odeon cinema a hand written slide interrupted the performance giving the news that the pier was on fire and most of the cinema-goers rushed out to watch. On the beach vivid explosions came from the burning theatre as oxygen cylinders exploded sending showers of sparks over the beach. One explosion lifted the front turret at the northern side of the pier high into the air, landing on the wet beach where the tide had just gone out. Sparks and burning debris were carried by the gale force wind and were landing in the South Road area of the town making it uncomfortable for the onlookers on the promenade. After a while the wind veered and the flames and smoke were carried safely out to sea. This enabled the fire fighters to save a large part of the deck and the wind break screen that is still in use today. This was to date the largest fire in the area and special editions of the local papers were published with spectacular photographs of the fire and the twisted wreckage the next morning.
Reconstruction
The loss of the pier as an attraction was a blow to the rest of the town's trade. Hotel and shop owners pleaded with the Council to speed its replacement as visitor figures for the 1930 season were down by 500,000.
The former operation as a theatre had not been profitable in recent years. Expenses and costs of the theatre were about £100 per year in deficit. The bandstand and related tolls were in a similar state due to the high cost of the large number of musicians. The only previously paying part of the undertaking was the light amusements, therefore it was decided, as there had never been any objection to this side of the business, that this should be the nature of the replacement pavilion. It was also proposed that if subsequent income would allow, a new 2,000 seat theatre could be built at the shore end. The Urban District Council, who in 1893 had opposed the original act of Parliament at a cost to the ratepayers of £5,000 were now enthusiastic for its replacement. The Pier was under-insured by a sum of £36,000 therefore immediate replacement was not possible. The pier stood unused for two seasons until a new company was formed who provided the extra capital and rebuilding work was started. The newly repaired and enlarged deck section but without any buildings, was opened for the season of 1932 with fun fair equipment and travelling acts such as One Legged Peggy the high diver.[citation needed] During the next winter the present pavilion was erected.
Second fire
At 06:46 BST on 28 July 2008, fire officers were notified of a fire on the Grand Pier.[2] Avon Fire and Rescue Service deployed 13 fire engines, special appliances, and more than 85 firefighters to tackle the blaze,[2] which broke out at the foot of the north tower on the shoreward (eastern) end of the pavilion. A number of deep fat fryers were in the area where it is believed that the fire first started.[1]
Eyewitnesses and news reports stated that smoke could be seen for up to 10 miles (16 km) and that the flames were reaching 100 feet (30 m) in the air. The fire service had difficulty getting enough water to the fire to dampen the flames as the pier is a quarter mile (400 m) out to sea and the tide was out at the time the pier caught fire. A water barrier between the structure and the esplanade was later established to prevent the fire spreading. The fire was left to burn itself out.
Within two hours the Grand Pier pavilion had been destroyed, although there were no casualties. Despite warnings from the police, hundreds gathered along the seafront and on the beach to get a view of the structure.[citation needed]
Investigations are under way with the current pier owners hoping that the metal framework is strong enough for the pavilion to be rebuilt. A preliminary investigation saw a team of experts fly above the pier, from which they suggested the structure of the support appeared safe. Further investigation is to be carried out as to whether this is definitely the case.[3] In the meantime, the front shops were re-opened on 31 July for trading and most of the walkway is also accessible.[4]Avon Fire and Rescue Service said that the investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing and that the cause was still unknown, although they said that a chip pan fire or arson was unlikely[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Huge fire destroys historic pier". BBC News. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Weston pier destroyed by fire". Avon Fire and Rescue Service. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
- ^ "Weston Pier Latest". Bristol Evening Post. 29 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Parts of stricken pier to re-open". BBC News. 31 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7534860.stm
External links
