Clevedon Pier, Number 36.......

True to her word Mrs BM took me for a drive, 90 miles down the M5 to Clevedon as she knew that I needed this Pier for my collection.

The Clevedon Pier Company issued a prospectus in March 1867. Designed by J.W.Grover (1836-92) and R.J.Ward (1817-81), this unique structure used discarded wrought iron railway lines formed into eight, 100 ft arched spans standing on trestles of the same material. The pier is 842 feet long and 48 feet high, to accommodate the wide local tidal range. It opened on Easter Monday, 1869.

In 1891, due to the pier?s high operating costs, the major shareholder, Sir Edmund Elton, Bart., bought all remaining shares and donated the pier to the local council.

In 1892, the original wooden pier-head was replaced with a cast-iron structure, angled to the pier-neck to align with tidal flows. Ornate, cast-iron buildings were added in 1894.

From 1952, safety concerns led the council to sub-contract regular testing for insurance purposes. On October 16th 1970, during testing, two spans collapsed.

April 2011, the plans for the futuristic £1m visitor centre to be built on the ramp leading to Clevedon's Grade I-listed Victorian pier were approved by North Somerset Council. An appeal to help pay for the development was launched with the hope that work could begin in spring 2012. A glass-fronted educational centre looking out towards the Bristol Channel and built under the ramp was included together with a refreshment area and toilet facilities.