Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier

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About Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier

Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier is a modern reinvention of a Victorian original, rebuilt after a devastating 1930 fire and again after a 2008 blaze. It now houses a large indoor amusement pavilion, rides and a four-storey go-kart track.

The story of Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier

The original Grand Pier was opened in 1904, designed by Henry Tanner with construction supervised by local engineer P. W. S. Williams, and was intended to rival the great piers of Brighton and Blackpool. A catastrophic fire in January 1930 destroyed the entire pier head, and it was rebuilt and reopened in 1933 with a new pavilion. A second major fire in July 2008 destroyed the pavilion again, closing the pier for four years. The current structure was rebuilt by Dawnus Construction to a design by Angus Meek Architects and reopened in October 2010 at a cost of £39 million.

Visiting with care

Open year-round with free admission, the pier's flagship attraction is a four-storey go-kart track inside the pavilion. The tide goes out a very long way at Weston, so the pier is especially popular when the sea is distant and families want seaside amusements regardless.

Interesting facts

• The original pier opened in 1904 and was destroyed by fire in 1930.
• A second fire in 2008 destroyed the pavilion, leading to a £39 million rebuild.
• The current pier reopened in October 2010 with a new design.
• Features a four-storey indoor go-kart track, the longest of its kind on a pier.