West End Pier, Morecambe facts for kids
West End Pier, between 1895 to 1900
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| Carries | Pedestrians |
|---|---|
| Locale | Morecambe |
| Design | J Harker |
| Total length | 1,800 feet (550 m) |
| Opening date | 3 April 1896 |
| Destruction date | 1978 |
| Coordinates | 54°04′04″N 2°52′59″W / 54.0677°N 2.8830°W |
The West End Pier was a famous pier in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. It was one of two piers built there in the late 1800s. When it was finished, it stretched about 1,800 feet (550 m) (which is over half a kilometer!) into the sea.
The pier officially opened on April 3, 1896. It was one of the first places in Morecambe to get electric lights in 1899, which was very modern for the time. Sadly, a big storm damaged the pier in 1977. Fixing it would have cost too much money, so it was taken down the next year.
Contents
Designing the Pier
Engineers from Manchester named Manghall and Littlewood helped design the pier. They planned for it to be 900 feet (270 m) long from the promenade (the walkway along the coast) to a large building called the pavilion. The pier would then continue to the very end, making it 1,800 feet (550 m) long in total.
The pier was designed to be between 25–38 feet (7.6–11.6 m) wide. At the very end, it would get wider, reaching 200 feet (61 m) across. This wider area was planned to hold a bandstand where music could be played. There was also a special landing area for steamboats to dock.
The main building, the pavilion, was designed to hold up to 2,000 people. Shops were planned to be built around the outside of this large building. The pier had a huge wooden deck, covering about three acres, and a stage that was 30 feet (9.1 m) deep for performances.
Building the West End Pier
Early Plans and Agreements
Ideas for a West End Pier first came up in 1878. However, it took many years for plans to become real. In 1892, two different groups of business people wanted to build a new pier in Morecambe. They both planned to build their piers very close to each other.
The government department called the Board of Trade stepped in. They said that neither pier could be built unless the two companies agreed on a plan. So, the two groups met and decided to work together. One company agreed to step aside, and the other, which became the West End Pier Company, took over the project.
Construction Begins
The West End Pier Company got official permission to start building on June 29, 1893. They had to start work within two years. Construction began in March 1895, and things moved very quickly.
Building the pier was a huge job! It needed a lot of materials. Workers used 1,000 tons of iron, 26 tons of bolts, and 3 tons of nails to put it all together.
Opening Day and New Features
The pier officially opened on April 3, 1896. A local Member of Parliament, William Henry Foster, was there for the opening ceremony. The large pavilion building wasn't quite finished by opening day, but it was ready by Easter 1897.
After a successful first summer, work continued to finish the very end of the pier. The special landing stage for boats was built between late 1897 and early 1898. In 1899, the pier became one of the first places in Morecambe to have electric lighting, making it shine brightly at night.
Challenges in the 20th Century
The West End Pier faced some tough times. Big storms caused damage in 1903 and 1907. The 1907 storm was so strong that it washed away 180 feet (55 m) of the pier's extension.
In 1917, a fire sadly destroyed the pavilion building. By October 1927, after another storm, the pier's length had shrunk to about 900 feet (270 m). This meant it was only half as long as it was when it first opened.
Closure and Demolition
The pier's story came to an end after a powerful storm in November 1977. This storm destroyed about a third of the pier, cutting off the open-air dancing area from the rest of it.
Estimates to repair the damage were very high, around £500,000. This was considered too expensive to fix. So, in 1978, the West End Pier was taken down. No new piers were built to replace it in Morecambe.
