Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare

The Grand Pier is a pier in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England. It is situated on the Bristol Channel approximately 18 miles (29 km) south west of Bristol.

The pier is privately-owned and is one of three piers in the town together with Birnbeck Pier, which stands derelict awaiting possible restoration and the much shorter SeaQuarium aquarium built towards the south end of the seafront. It is supported by 600 iron piles, and is 400 metres (1,300 ft) long. It has been damaged by fire on two occasions in 1930 and 2008.

Following the latter fire, which completely destroyed the pavilion, the pier was rebuilt at a cost of £39 million and reopened on 23 October 2010.

Work began on building the pier on 7 November 1903, with P. Munroe acting as engineer, and it opened on 11 June 1904. At the pier's end was a 2,000 seat theatre which was used as a music hall and for opera, stage plays and ballet. On 16 May 1907 an extension of the pier measuring 500 yards (1,500 ft) was opened, with the intention that the pier would be used as a docking point for boats to Cardiff. The dangerous currents in the bay made this too difficult, however, and the extension was demolished.