Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare, abandoned for more than 30 years, has reached a major milestone in its restoration: it has been reconnected to the mainland. The pier, which first opened in 1867 and is the only UK pier connecting to an island rather than extending into the sea, is on track to reopen in summer 2027.
Historic pier with a mysterious wartime past
The pier began as a popular Victorian attraction, featuring a funfair, cafe, and rides. During World War II, it was taken over by the Royal Navy as a top-secret weapons testing base. Locals saw flickering lights at night but were unaware of its role as a wartime nerve centre. After the war, the pier never regained its former glory, passing through private owners until it was declared unsafe and closed in 1994.
It housed an RNLI lifeboat station from 1881 to 2014 but otherwise stood derelict. In 1998, it was placed on Historic England's National Heritage at Risk Register.
Restoration timeline and funding
North Somerset Council purchased the pier in 2023 after starting the process in 2019. The restoration is being delivered in phases: from autumn 2024 to winter 2024, repairs to the island sea wall, stabilisation of the 1888 boathouse, clock tower pavilion, and landside cliff face; from autumn 2025 to autumn 2026, renovation of landside buildings and provision of essential services; and from winter 2025 to spring 2027, restoration of the pier structure.
Cllr Mike Bell, leader of North Somerset Council, said on June 18: 'Birnbeck Pier is of national significance, and it is important that we get things right for our community now and for generations to come. Excellent progress is being made on the restoration of the pier, and we are now looking ahead to how this special place will be managed once it re-opens to the public next year.'
Wider regeneration of Weston-super-Mare
The pier regeneration is part of a wider £44 million funding package to improve the town centre. Other derelict buildings, including the grade II listed Toll House (known locally as the 'shell shop') and Tropicana (a former lido turned entertainment venue that hosted Banksy's 2015 Dismaland exhibition), will also be revamped.
Weston-super-Mare has struggled with a poor reputation, being named among the worst seaside towns twice in 2023 by The Telegraph and consumer group Which?. The area is ranked as one of the most deprived in England, with a crime rate of 153.2 per 1,000, 153% of the national average. However, the pier's restoration is expected to boost tourism and local regeneration.
