Residents met in December 1861 to discuss a new pier and work began in June 1862. Designed by Eugenius Birch, it opened on May 21st 1863. A landing/fishing jetty was added in 1866 and extended in 1869, bringing the pier’s length to 1410 feet.

The pier was damaged in 1867 by wreckage from Nelson’s former flagship, the ‘Foudroyant’, which had been moored off the pier for an exhibition. In the 1870s, the pier-head was enlarged and the Indian Pavilion and bandstand were built. There were further ship collisions with the pier in 1892 and 1897

The deck was widened in 1896, and shops and an arcade were added to the shoreward end in 1903.

The Indian Pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1921, but a new pavilion was built, unfortunately also being destroyed by fire in 1938. However, a new 1500 seat theatre was completed in 1939. Also in the 1930s, the bandstand became the sun lounge.

In the 1960s, amusements and the Merrie England bar were opened. In the 1980s, £350,000 was spent rebuilding the entrance in Victorian style, and in 1991, a 35 foot carousel and a pier tramway were installed. There were helicopter rides from the jetty, which re-opened in 1991 after severe storm damage in 1987. Leisure excursions resumed in September 1992 when MV Balmoral called at the jetty.

The pier suffered further, severe storm damage in December 1997, severing the jetty from the main structure and leaving the pier theatre perilously close to the edge. The owners did not propose to repair the damage, instead pledging £1,000,000 towards general improvement of this listed structure.

The North Pier still had much to offer, from its majestic theatre and the beautiful Carousel bar, through the Sunlight Lounge and traditional carousel ride, right up to the top of the pier with its arcade amusements and Merrie England Bar.

April 2011 – Blackpool North Pier sold to local family company
In April 2011, the pier was sold by Six Piers Ltd to Blackpool family firm, Sedgwick’s, which also owned amusement arcades and the big wheel on Blackpool’s Central Pier. Mr Sedgwick vowed to restore the pier to its former Victorian look, bring back its tram and remove the entrance tolls.

In September 2011, the theatre was closed and the summer show cancelled to enable the backstage renovation work and modernisation of dressing rooms and windows to begin. Work was completed and the theatre relaunched in November 2011.

May 2013 – New digital display screen celebrates North Pier’s 150th birthday
In May 2013, the pier celebrated its 150th anniversary. The pier was first opened on May 21st 1863 and is the oldest of Blackpool’s three piers. To mark the occasion a new state-of-the-art digital display screen to show images of the pier throughout its history was installed at the front of the pier.

December 2013 – Storm damage could cost millions to repair
In December 2013, violent storms caused serious damage to the pier causing decking to be broken, windows smashed and pylons to be snapped. The damage was estimated to be in the millions of pounds and the seaward end of the pier had to be closed.

January 2014 – Pier’s £1m rescue mission underway
In January 2014, it was reported that the extensive repairs to the storm damaged pier were progressing well. The boardwalk, windows and the Sunset Lounge had been ripped apart by severe winds. The pier had been closed from December 5th but had now been partially opened to fishermen.

Repairs were finally completed at the end of March 2014 ready for it to be reopened to the public in early April.

May 2014 – Could be biggest year yet for restored pier
After being severely damaged by the storm at the end of 2013, the pier management were forecasting a bumper year for the pier. £600,000 worth of improvements had been made and a full summer of shows was planned in the theatre.

August 2015 – North Pier’s owner says ‘Blackpool’s on the up!’
In an article in August 2015, Peter Sedgwick, the owner of Blackpool’s North Pier, gave a spirited defence of the resort. Whilst admitting that there are still parts of the town that needed work, he cited the Prom, new trams, the refurbished Tower and the fantastic shows being put of at the Winter Gardens as evidence of the progress Blackpool is making.

September 2015 – North Pier theatre features on the Theatres Trust ‘at risk’ list
First listed in 2014 by the Theatres Trust as a venue at risk of demolition, redevelopment or closure, the North Pier theatre was again on the list issued in September 2015. But pier owner, Peter Sedgewick, pledged to maintain the North Pier venue as a theatre.

January 2017 – Did Bob Dylan paint Blackpool North Pier?
A remarkable likeness between a painting by the famous singer, Bob Dylan, and a photograph taken by someone under the pseudonym Diamond Geezer led to an interesting controversy around the pier. The photographe said: “I’d be intrigued to know why he picked this image in the first place, whether he knew it was of Blackpool, and how it came to be attributed to a pier on the east coast of America.

April 2017 – Investment in Blackpool North Pier continues
In October 2017, it was reported that £300,000 had been invested during the winter by Blackpool North Pier’s owner, Peter Sedgwick, on repairs to the pier’s steelwork and decking. Peter, who owns all three of Blackpool’s piers, said he was hoping that his continued investment would eventually help him achieve the National Piers Society’s Pier of the Year award. However, he admitted that it would be a tough job because maintaining the pier was ‘like painting the Forth Bridge’ – a never ending job!

October 2017 – Blackpool’s three Piers added to World Monuments Watch List
Tim Wardley, chairman of the National Piers Society, said: “This is an opportunity for Blackpool to lead the way in a dialogue that has the potential to help other piers across the country and to raise the profile of the difficult situation many of them are in today.”

May 2018 – Bumper Bank Holiday weekend for Blackpool’s three piers!
The hottest early May bank holiday on record, brought a bumper crop of visitors to Blackpool seafront. Peter Sedgwick, who owns all three of Blackpool’s piers, said it was the busiest weekend he had seen in 25 years of operating in the resort. He said: “All the piers were rammed and the feedback we had from people was fantastic.”

June 2018 – Blackpool’s Piers secure World Monuments grant
In June 2018, it was announced that Blackpool’s three piers had been included on the American Express and World Monuments Fund to support endangered global cultural heritage sites in a $1m (£748,000) series of grants.

July 2018 – Blackpool North Pier, the birthplace of Sooty, celebrates the little bear’s 70th birthday!
When Harry Corbett bought a bear glove puppet on Blackpool’s North Pier in 1948 to entertain his children, he could surely not have realised he was teaming up with a future TV icon.
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May 2019 – How Blackpool North Pier has helped to define the resort
A fascinating look-back at some great images of North Pier and how this iconic landmark helped to define the resort of Blackpool.
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July 2019 – Blackpool North Pier open day takes place this Saturday!
The 2019 free North Pier Open Day was organised by Blackpool Council and the Blackpool Pier Company and included music and entertainment, live Punch and Judy shows and a traditional barrel organ. Some rides were completely free for children (who had to be accompanied by an adult) and there was a free coconut shy with seaside prizes along with lots of seaside craft activities.
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January 2020 – Blackpool North Pier theatre renamed in honour of Joe Longthorne
An all-star variety opening night has been scheduled for the newly-named venue on May 31, what would have been Joe’s 65th birthday. The Grade II listed pier and it’s 1,400 capacity theatre was Joe’s all-time favourite venue to have performed in, with more than 20 seasons appearing at the theatre.
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March 2020 – A piece of Blackpool North Pier’s history washed ashore
A light fitting believed to be from the North Pier’s Indian Pavillion, which was destroyed by a fire in September 1921, was found on the sand under the pier following weeks of stormy weather. Pier owner Peter Sedgwick said: “Because of the storms, the sand around all the piers is getting low, and it’s starting to show all the steel that’s been hidden for years”.
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March 2020 – Beach erosion causing foundation exposure for Blackpool’s three piers
There may be trouble ahead for the resort’s three famous piers, as owner Peter Sedgwick has voiced his concern about falling sand levels – which has left scrap metal from generations past exposed beneath the structures. He said: “The sand is falling so much around the piers it’s showing the bottoms of the legs that haven’t been seen for years. They were set in concrete, and the concrete is on show, it’s dropped that low”.
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June 2020 – First live-stream event from Blackpool North Pier’s Joe Longthorne MBE Theatre
Comedian Roy Chubby Brown has vowed to make history in Blackpool as the first performer to take to a theatre stage in Britain since Lockdown. The charity chat show event is set for Saturday June 27 and will be streamed live online for audiences to enjoy.
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March 2020 – Beach erosion causing foundation exposure for Blackpool’s three piers
In March 2020, it was thought that trouble lay ahead for the resort’s three famous piers, as owner Peter Sedgwick voiced his concern about falling sand levels – which had left scrap metal from generations past exposed beneath the structures. He said: “The sand is falling so much around the piers it’s showing the bottoms of the legs that haven’t been seen for years. They were set in concrete, and the concrete is on show, it’s dropped that low”.
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August 2020 – Joe Longthorne MBE Museum opens at Blackpool North Pier
In August 2020, the inside of the former theatre tearoom turned exhibition space became a museum holding some of Joe Longthorne’s treasured memorabilia from his illustrious showbiz career, his MBE honour to his gold disks, stage suits and his much loved piano, once owned and played by American superstar singer, writer and producer Stevie Wonder. Adorning the walls were tributes, messages and anecdotes of fellow entertainers, sportstars and pals from across the world, Engelbert Humperdinck, Bob Hope to Geoff Hurst – Jimmy Tarbuck and Bruce Forsyth.
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Blackpool North Pier

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