REPORT – THE BROKEN PIER, ST ANNES BEACH, LANCASHIRE , FEBRUARY 2021
Short History of the Broken Pier
Short History of the Broken Pier
The 914 foot pier was built at a cost of £18,000 for the St Anne’s-on-the-Sea Land & Building Company Ltd. It opened on the 15th June 1885 to the design of A.Dawson.
Extensions costing a further £30,000 were opened on April 2nd 1904 and included the famous 1000-seat Moorish Pavilion and various kiosks. The mock-Tudor lodge at the entrance had opened a few years earlier and the Floral Hall (in use by 1910) housed concerts, operas and vaudeville acts. Gracie Fields, George Formby, Russ Conway and Bob Monkhouse all performed at the pier. An amusement arcade was added to the entrance in 1954.
The children’s theatre was damaged by fire in 1959. In 1960, the pier was re-decked and a restaurant was added. In 1962, the Amalgamated Investment & Property Company bought the pier for £240,000. The entrance pavilion, Floral Hall, landing jetty and children’s section were all renovated.
Another fire in 1974 destroyed the Moorish Pavilion and the pier company went into liquidation. After a buyer was found, restoration work began. In July 1982, the Floral Hall was also destroyed by fire and 120 feet of the pier’s seaward end had to be removed, reducing the length to 600 feet. Refurbishment took place in the early 1990s.
My Visit
Another fantastically gloomy day on the Lancashire coastline, perfect for photographing the rusty metal decaying pier that still stands……………. for now. It appears as though its fighting a battle it can’t and wont win, against old father time…… who remains to this day, unbeaten.
I visit this pier from time to time, and notice that’s its really starting to crumble now, and I fear it will not be long until it admits defeat and lets go. This may be its last stand.
Its beautiful orange rust really pops against a flat dull over cast day.
It will be a shame when this melts away back into nature.
Enjoy the photos, and please go an check out this mad max’ esque structure before its too late.
As usual, I have made a youtube video about the visit which can be seen here:
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