Burnham-On-Sea’s landmark Pavilion, which is Britain’s shortest pier, has been put on the market.
The concrete pier, which is more than 100 years old, has been put up for sale by its owners, the Parkin family.
An advert has been placed in the latest issue of a leisure industry trade magazine that promotes it as a ‘freehold property, with planning to extend’.
The Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the inspiration for the Pavilion, the first to be constructed in reinforced concrete, rather than the steel and cast Iron used for Victorian piers.
Granite chippings from Penryn Colliery in Cornwall, which were used in the construction, are still used today for routine maintenance.
Plans to lengthen the pier and create a walkway and landing stage for steamships crossing the Bristol Channel did not materialize and originally the pier contained an open Pavilion – the name by which is most commonly known today.
Harry Parkin took over the then-derelict Pavilion in 1968 and many years of effort have since been spent on renovating it and maintaining it.
No price has been indicated and manager Louise Parkin declined to comment when approached by Burnham-On-Sea.com on Sunday morning.
