Seaside town's 'heartbeat' pier turns 120

The Grand Pier has been extensively renovated after two fires

Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier is celebrating its 120th birthday this month. It has survived two fires and attracts thousands of visitors to the town. The BBC has taken a look at its past.

When the Grand Pier opened in 1904 it transformed the seaside town into an Edwardian tourist destination.

Now, 120 years later, the iconic landmark is hailed as the "heartbeat" of the seafront.

Workers at the attraction are this month celebrating the pier's "wonderful" anniversary.

"We are so proud that our pier continues to be relevant and a great day out for all the family in its 120th year," co-owner Michelle Michael said.

"The pier is the heartbeat of the sea front in Weston. There’s a lot of affection for it, not least its survival instinct of twice razed and rebuilt."

The Grand Pier was opened in 1904 after taking seven months to build

Ms Michael said anyone living in the UK will "generally have a pier story".

"They may have been taken to one as a child with grandparents or parents, had stays away on the coast where they visited a pier or returned with their own children and grandchildren for some nostalgia," she added.

Large crowds of tourists have travelled to Weston to visit the pier since it was built

The construction of the 1,080 ft (329m) long structure, which included a 2,000 seated pavilion, cost £120,000 and took seven months to build.

Daily pleasure steamers travelled along the Bristol Channel to drop large groups of visitors off at the attraction, which hosted opera, plays, ballet performances and boxing.

A low water landing stage was added in 1905 to allow passenger steamers to dock, but due to hazardous water conditions, this extended platform was demolished in 1918.

The Grade II listed structure, which is one of the longest piers in Britain, remained popular with visitors until 1930 when the theatre was destroyed by a fire.

The pier was re-built in 1933

A new pavilion was constructed three years later - marking a new era for the famous venue.

In the early 1990s, a £250,000 bowling alley was added, and £350,000 was spent on re-decking and installing a two-storey fun house and Ferris wheel.

In February 2008, the pier was sold in a multimillion-pound deal by the Brenner family to Michelle Michael and Kerry Michael - a local brother and sister partnership.

The pier was engulfed by a huge fire in 2008

Ms Michael said you have to "love what you do" to continue running a pier business.

"Piers are not for the feint hearted," she said.

"We continue to have a passion for the industry, for our iconic attraction and now, we have the pleasure of working with the next family generation who are just as enthusiastic about it."

The fire in 2008 started in an area containing deep fat fryers

But in July 2008, the pier was engulfed in a second fire, which seriously damaged parts of its structure.

At the time, it was reported that black smoke from the blaze was visible more than 10 miles away.

Flames started in an area containing deep fat fryers, and a fire alarm company was later found to have been negligent.

The pier re-opened in 2010 - two years after a fire ripped through the famous landmark

After a multi-million pound transformation, which took two years to complete, the pier re-opened in 2010.

Thousands of people queued in the pouring rain for its grand comeback.

As part of its revamp, new rides and a modern glass fronted building were installed.

Following the re-opening, on 12 November 2010, the National Piers Society presented its Outstanding Achievement Award to the pier's owners.

The society's chairman, Tim Wardley, said the pier has always "embraced" the "traditional elements of a seaside pier with modern, fun facilities".

"Now, more than ever, seaside piers are essential to the tourism economy of the seaside towns they serve," he said.

"May it continue to reign long into the future as the jewel in Weston's crown."

'A force in the region's tourism'

Over the last 14 years, the pier has continued to adapt and owners brought in a controversial £1 entry fee in 2014. More recently it has also made moves to become more accessible and inclusive.

It has also weathered the Covid lockdowns, and in 2021 scooped two tourism awards.

For Ms Michael, she said their commitment is and will always be "to continue to welcome guests".

She added that as they celebrate 120 years in the town they hope to "remain relevant as a force in the region’s tourism economy".