Somerset pier with links to Dambusters bomb raid gets £10m lottery lifeline

A unique pier that used to be a boarding point for paddle steamers plying their trade in the Bristol Channel and in the second world war played a part in the development of the Dambusters' bouncing bomb is a step closer to being saved, thanks to a £10m lifeline.

- Steven Morris

Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare, said to be the only pier in the UK linking the mainland to an island, fell into disrepair after closing to the public 30 years ago and is on Historic England's heritage at risk register.

The £10m from the National Lottery will be used to stabilise the Grade II*-listed pier structure to make it safe and usable once again.

John Crockford-Hawley, the mayor of Weston-super-Mare, said he was delighted at the announcement, which was made yesterday, 160 years to the day since the pier's foundation stone was laid.

"I'm old enough to remember when it was in full fling," he said. "As a young teenager, my mum would give me and my friends sandwiches and off we'd go on a paddle steamer. We'd go cruising around the channel or down to Ilfracombe [in Devon]. It was all great fun.