We’ve awarded £5.54m to North Somerset Council to save the Grade II* listed Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare, building on our £10m grant from October last year.

Birnbeck is the only pier in the country to link to an island. It was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened in 1867, but closed to the public in 1994 as it was unsafe following a lack of maintenance under private ownership. Since 1998, it has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register.

Our grant will be used to restore the bridge of the pier structure. It is part of the wider Birnbeck Pier restoration project to make the historic site safe and usable again.

“Birnbeck Pier holds a special place in people’s hearts and memories. The energy and commitment of local people and organisations working hard to secure its future and place the pier back at the forefront of Weston-super-Mare has been integral to getting to where we are today.”

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Transformational for Weston-super-Mare

The Birnbeck Pier restoration project will play a key role in the regeneration of Weston-super-Mare and create lasting benefits for its communities.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Birnbeck Pier is a unique part of our coastal heritage that has been at risk of loss for over 25 years. The additional grant reflects our commitment to saving heritage at risk and investing in the communities it belongs to. The restoration of the pier is a transformational project, enhancing and regenerating the cultural and economic landscape of Weston-super-Mare and providing enjoyment for generations to come."

“Birnbeck Pier holds a special place in people’s hearts and memories. The energy and commitment of local people and organisations working hard to secure its future and place the pier back at the forefront of Weston-super-Mare has been integral to getting to where we are today. We know that any major project and investment of this scale will have risks, but we are committed to working collaboratively with North Somerset Council, Historic England and UK Government to make this project happen.”

A lifeline for Birnbeck Pier

Councillor Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council, said: “We are incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Put simply, this lifeline has saved the day. Without it, the future of Birnbeck Pier would have been in real danger. Thanks to National Lottery players, whose support makes this possible, we can now press on with plans to restore this extraordinary part of our coastal heritage for generations to come."

Saving heritage at risk

Saving heritage is one of the four investment principles in our Heritage 2033 strategy. We are committed to protecting, conserving and revitalising heritage of all kinds that is in poor condition or at risk.

Since 1994 we have awarded £3.4billion to more than 10,600 area, historic building and monument projects across the UK.

Discover other important projects we've funded.