The UK National Lottery has brought a historic Victorian pier “back from the brink of loss.” The Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Make opened in 1867 and has helped people go to Birnbeck Island for a century and a half.
The Project Will Preserve Important Patrimony
Birnbeck Pier, also known as the Old Pier, is currently one of the only six Grade II piers surviving in Great Britain and is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. Once popular with tourists, the decrepit pier has been decaying for years and is in dire need of refurbishment.
Luckily, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has now donated some £10 million for the restoration of the Old Pier. This will allow the North Somerset Council, which currently owns the pier, to carry out important repair works and preserve the legacy of this 160-year-old pier.
The council, which purchased the pier from a private owner who kept it in disrepair, hopes to complete the restoration project by 2027 and welcome tourists once more.
Restoring Weston-super-Mare’s Cultural Landscape
The money from the National Lottery Heritage Fund was raised via ticket sales, aligning with the National Lottery’s ethos to provide funding to good causes. This money will help the North Somerset Council restore not only the pier but also the island itself. In addition, the project will see a new RNLI lifeboat station added to the island.
Eilish McGuinness, the chief executive officer of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, commented on the matter, saying that the project is “great news for Weston-super-Mare and beyond” since it will regenerate the cultural and economic landscape of the area. In addition, it will create new jobs and a source of pride for the locals.
North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell noted that this significant funding will allow his team to restore the pier. He thanked The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support and the National Lottery players for making this project possible in the first place.
