Blackpool North Pier, Blackpool

In the early 19th century, the coming of the railway system in Britain made it easy for masses of people to flock to the beaches for a holiday. The charms of the seashore were not just for the Sacred Few anymore. People thronged the seaside piers.

Blackpool North Pier extends 550 yards into the Irish Sea. It was built in the 1860s at the shore end of Talbot Road. It is the most northerly of Blackpool's piers. It is near the midpoint of the Blackpool promenade, about 450 yards north of Blackpool Tower. The shoreline is almost straight here, and the dock is at right angles to the beach.

North Pier was built by the Glasgow firm of Richard Laidlaw & Son following the designs of architect and engineer Eugenius Birch. North Pier was the second of 14 piers that Birch designed. The dock has a promenade about nine yards wide, with a pier head at least 18 yards wide. It is cast iron using screw piles into bedrock for stability.

The attractions of the North Pier are varied. There is a Gypsy palm reader, an ice cream parlor, the North Pier Theatre, the Victorian Tea Room, the Carousel, and the Merrie England bar. The Amusement Arcade has about 11 million transactions a year. The Carousel Bar, with its wrought iron canopy, is the most extensive beer garden in town.

Come aboard, get your palm read, see a show, drink tea, ride a unicorn, take a chance, have a pint and enjoy the sea breezes. All in one place, at the North Pier.