In pictures: Haunting images of derelict Birnbeck Pier
- Published
In its heyday, Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare was the Victorian equivalent of a modern theme-park.
Construction of the pier started in 1864 and it was opened on 5 June 1867.
Known as the Old Pier, it now stands derelict and dilapidated on the North Somerset coast.
The pier has suffered a slow and steady decline since its closure in the 1970s.
A sign warning urban explorers points towards the crumbling and dangerous main pier.
In its heyday thousands of people went to the pier to enjoy the water slides and fairground rides.
The pier was a major transportation link with scheduled steam ship services arriving from and departing to destinations including Cardiff, Minehead, Ilfracombe and Lundy Island.
The last of these sailings, by the MV Balmoral, took place in 1979.
Ownership of the pier has changed a number of times, with various multi-million pound development plans being proposed on each occasion.
The pier is one of the oldest in the country and the only one in joined to an island.
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