An early morning visit to Southport Pier hoping to catch a sunrise, which is also the oldest iron pier in the country and the second longest only to Southend pier . Built in 1860 this pier has seen many famous faces including Charlie Chaplin . We have a quick walk up the beach followed by a drone flight showing many different angles of the pier and also some footage of Southport beach .
Music track “Bring me the sky” by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
#southportpier #southportbeach #southport #historic #history #historical #britisharchitecture #dronevideo #dronefootage #dronephotography #videography #cinematic #dji #djimini #oldestpier #djidrones #scottbuckley #britainfromabove #merseyside #coastline #touristattraction #touristattractions
History:
Proposals for a pier in Southport were first suggested in 1844, in conjunction with a potential railway from Manchester, with a committee formed in 1852 to help promote its construction. Following debates throughout the following few years about what its intended usage should be, the Southport Pier company was formed in March 1859 with a £12,000 capital. The cost to build the pier was estimated at £8000 (equivalent to £1,012,188 in 2023), eventually rising to £8700 (equivalent to £1,100,754 in 2023) with construction work commencing in August 1859. The pier's primary purpose was to be a promenade as opposed to a ship docking pier, and thus is considered to be the country's first pleasure pier.
Southport Pier opening ceremony, 1860
A year later, on 2 August 1860, the pier was officially opened with a grand procession; at a length of 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) it was the second-longest and first iron-constructed pleasure pier in the country. Waiting rooms for boat passengers were added during the pier's first few years of operation, and a cable-operated tramway had been installed by 1865. The pier was extended to 1,340 metres (4,380 ft) in 1868 and was used by various steamer ships, including those of the Blackpool, Lytham and Southport Steam Packet Company, with services operating from the pier to resorts including Fleetwood and Llandudno.
Visitors to the pier had to pay a toll, priced deliberately high at 6d (equivalent to £2.75 in 2016 to ensure only the most affluent could afford it. As the 1870s progressed, the numbers of working class visitors increased and tolls were reduced to 2d.
Storm damage was a frequent occurrence - several storms caused damage to the pier's foundations and buildings throughout the late 1880s and early 1890s. A fire in September 1897 destroyed the original pavilion; its replacement was opened in January 1902 and considered grander, with the inclusion of an auditorium.
After falling into disrepair and subsequently closing, work to restore the pier began in 2000 and was completed in 2002, opening to the public in May 2002 with the restoration costing £7.2 million, complete with a new tram. Restoration of the pier formed part of a wider redevelopment strategy, including a new sea wall to help prevent flooding, landscaping around the pier and a new £28 million Ocean Plaza shopping complex.
The pier today is an open structure, with modern railings on an older base and a deck made of hardwood slats, affording a partial view of the sea below. Along the walkway are name plaques that local people funded to help towards raising the restoration funds. The modern pavilion structure at the pier head was designed by Liverpool architects Shed KM and cost £1.2 million; the building houses a cafeteria with airport style floor to ceiling windows overlooking the beach and a collection of vintage mechanical amusement machines and penny arcade. The exhibition of Edwardian and Victorian machines operates on pre-decimalisation pennies, available to purchase on-site at £1 for 10 old pennies.
Plans were announced in April 2017 to renovate the pier as part of a £2.9 million makeover, with two-thirds of the cost coming from the Coastal Communities Fund to include repairs and new retail units. Additionally, the council seek to undertake repainting and mechanical works, as well as pavilion improvements and providing easier access to the pier from the beach. During 2022, the decking appeared to be rotting and unstable , and as a precaution the whole pier was closed to the public - pending repair.
Enjoy and please consider liking and subscribing.
Many thanks for watching!
2 окт 2024
