History of Blackpool Central Pier

Blackpool Central Pier is the one with the Big Wheel and fairground rides. But do you wonder about its past? Designed to be a place of fun, in the early days that meant dancing and steamer trips. Modern amusements and rides arrived much later. Take a ride in our time machine and explore the history of Blackpool Central Pier.

Join us for a walk around Central Pier. Take a look –

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The History of Blackpool Central Pier

Local historian Nick Moore has collected together information about all of the history of Blackpool. Have a look at his free to access online resource ‘History of Blackpool and the Fylde Coast’. Nick’s very kindly provided the following information about the history of Central Pier.

The success of Blackpool North Pier encouraged the formation of the Blackpool South Jetty Company.

But the new development, in competition as it was with the towns first pier, caused raised eyebrows in the town! Major Preston was in trouble too. Supporting the new enterprise meant that his name was rapidly erased from North Pier’s foundation stone! And there was no public opening ceremony.

On 30 May 1868, The South Pier Jetty Company opened what we know as Central Pier, with the name ‘South Jetty’.

When built, South Jetty was 1118 feet long, with an entrance hall, two shops, several kiosks, and a pier head lounge. It’s now 1,112 feet long (or 339 metres), shorter than it was when it originally opened. Steamboats used the 120 extra metres of landing jetty, at low tide. Excursions once left from here, just as they did from North Pier (more about that below).

The People’s Pier

The pier was unsuccessful at first, but in 1870 Robert Bickerstaff introduced steamer trips and open air dancing on the pier head. It soon became known affectionately as the “People’s Pier”. From 1878, the Central Pier Company’s steamers “Wellington” and “Nelson” ran to Southport, Llandudno, Lytham, Barrow, Peel and others.

More interesting information about the Blackpool Excursion Steamers

A new tollhouse also appeared at the entrance in 1878. On the pier itself were shops occupied by photographers, confectioners and fancy dealers. Plus a floor for dancing, and refreshment rooms.

By 1888, Central Pier was featuring Professor Taylor “eating, smoking, and writing underwater” and acts such as the “White Coons”. Pierrots were first seen on the pier in 1907. Fred Allendale’s Premier Pierrots followed the first performers Adeler and Sutton. Then in 1922 by Wylie-Tate’s Super Pierrots.

A 400-foot long iron pier extension for the steamer boats replaced the old wooden jetty in 1891. You can see the extension in the next photo, taken in 1920.

A central dancing platform was added, which in 1949 became an open-air theatre. The steamer jetty washed away much later, in 1964.

A Change of Name

In 1893 Blackpool’s third Pier, South Pier, opened. To avoid confusion, ‘South Jetty’ was changed to ‘Central Pier’ – and it’s been that ever since.

Here’s another familiar name for anyone interested in Blackpool’s history – Robert Bickerstaffe. He was the first manager of Central Pier and also coxswain of the first Blackpool lifeboat. Bickerstaffe Square and Bickerstaffe House are named after him. They were the first regeneration projects at Talbot Gateway.

Central Pier has soon many changes. In 1903 a White Pavilion in eastern-style came to the landward end of the pier. Sadly demolished in 1966 it didn’t stand the test of time.

Changing History of Central Pier

• The Electric Grotto Railway was built by Messrs Meinhardt in 1904. For some reason the Corporation objected in 1907 and it was removed, although the building it operated in was kept.
• In 1909, the pier unveiled its “Rollerator” ride, an innovative mix of skating and switchback. It still kept its own Roller Skating Rink however.
• The Joy Wheel opened in 1911, with speed boats and racing car rides following in 1920.
• In 1913, just before a visit by the King and Queen, a suspected Suffragette bomb was discovered on the pier!
• Redman’s Café was opened on the pier on the 1st of December 1914. The original premises had been converted into the Church of England Temporary Social Club for Soldiers on the 27th of November.
• In 1932, an “Automatic Chip Dispenser” was unveiled. Along with a new photograph booth, and a guess-your-weight machine.
• In 1945, the pier mounted a display showing a V1 and a V2 rocket which had been dropped on London. It cost 6d to enter. The pier later displayed a replica German U-Boat conning tower.

Arriving by Train

Central Pier was also close to the site of the long closed Blackpool Central Railway station. From the pier you’d have crossed the tramway and promenade, walked a little way along Chapel Street (the road heading to the Courts and former police station) and there was Central Station, on your left.

Tens of thousands of holiday makers arrived there every year and spilled out of the trains for a day at the coast. Now, plans are unfolding to redevelop the Central Station site once again.

An age of modern entertainment

In 1949 an open-air theatre was created. The theatre at the beach-end continued to have shows. Morecambe and Wise topped the bill in “Let’s Have Fun”.

Peter Webster first appeared at the open-air theatre on Central Pier in 1951, playing to 1,000 people twice daily – mainly children. “Uncle” Peter Webster went on to star in over 5000 shows.

In 1965, the Circlorama Cavalcade 360 degree cinema appeared on Central Pier. Originally successful in London, Harry Talbot de Vere Clifton provided the cash-backing for the Blackpool version. Transported to the end of the pier after the London show finished, it was a total failure! Constantly breaking down because of the salt air, at the end of the season it went on to Glasgow!

New Amusement Arcade and a New Theatre

With Central Pier Theatre demolished in October 1966, the pier-front building became the Golden Goose Amusement Arcade, opened in 1968. The following year (1967) a new theatre replaced the old open-air dance floor. Dancing moved to the White Pavilion and the Venetian Bar, popular with performers, opened in the centre.

The Dixieland Showbar opened in 1968 with its own Golden Fry Restaurant – specialising in “chips in a basket”. Unfortunately, fire ravaged the Dixieland on 22nd September 1973 – but it soon reopened.

The Golden Age of Central Pier

Nothing stands still in Blackpool and, refurbished in 1968, the Dixieland Showbar became Maggie May’s Showbar. Linda Nolan played nine consecutive summer seasons there, following this with two summer seasons on South Pier. Maggie May’s later became “Peggy Sue’s Showboat” and then “Legends”.

• The low-water jetty had gone from the end of the pier in 1968. But the remaining jetty was removed at the end of 1975.
• On February 24 1979, a security guard was on the pier doing his rounds and reported seeing a UFO. “A ball of orange light rushed past with a roaring noise, leaving a lingering smell of ozone”. The Ministry of Defence was notified, deciding to take no action.
• Cinema 180 opened on Central Pier in 1979, housed on the centre of the pier in a giant geodesic dome. By 1981 it had changed into Cinema USA, and by 1983 to Cinema 3D.
• Oz nightclub opened on the pier in 1989. It changed to Sequins in November 1990, then Legends Showbar, Club 1-11, and finally, to Wicked.

More Old Blackpool Photos

Love old photos? You’ll enjoy our ‘Old Blackpool’ Pinterest Board. When we find any interesting historic photos around the internet, we pin them here.

Recent Chapters in the History of Central Pier

Central Pier is still as popular today as it ever was, now it’s home to plenty of fairground rides. It’s a heady jumble of sights, sounds and smells, where loud music mixes with seagulls, and candyfloss with sea air.

The Big Wheel

The Big Wheel opened on Central Pier on 13 April 1990. It’s 108 feet high, holding up to 216 people in 26 carriages. Burton’s Wagon Wheels were the original sponsors. At the same time, the Wheel House Bar and Disco, and the Super Waltzer also opened.

Maintaining the Big Wheel on Central Pier

It’s a familiar landmark on Blackpool seafront. But rising high over the sea and beach it’s also very exposed to the weather. Which means that every few years it needs dismantling, cleaning, inspecting and maintaining. Then it’s all replaced, to turn again for another season.

But Blackpool seafront looks quite strange when it’s dismantled, as the circumference disappears bit by bit and all that’s left are the legs!

The local starlings love the Big Wheel though! It’s one of their perches for the thousands and thousands of them that fly in Blackpool’s famous starling murmurations each year.

No doubt there will be many more chapters to unfold in the history of Central Pier over the years to come.

• Take a look around the Central Pier of today

Fire at Central Pier

At 3am on the morning of Friday 17 July 2020, a fire broke out in a workshop at Central Pier.

• There’s more about the fire, and photos of it, here

Thankfully, fire crews managed to put it out quite quickly. It wasn’t as bad as it might have been. We went to take a look a few days later –

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Watch our walk-around video at the top of this page and you’ll see that the fire damage wasn’t anywhere as bad as it might have been!