the pier was given Royal Assent on 29 June 1893 on the proviso that construction would commence within two years. Now named the West End Pier Company, work began in March 1895 with rapid progress reported by September 1895. For its construction, the pier required 1000 tons of iron, 26 tons of bolts and 3 tons of nails. Opening The pier was formally opened the following year on 3 April 1896 by Colonel William Henry Foster MP of Hornby Castle. The pavilion had not been completed by the time of the official opening, with work completed around Easter 1897 and following a successful summer, preparations to complete the remainder of the pier were made. The first 200 piles for the landing stage were driven in on 18 November 1897 with the last 198 piles driven in on 23 April 1898 for the pier head. The pier was one of the first structures in the town to be installed with electric lighting in 1899. 20th century The pier sustained storm damage in 1903 and 1907, the latter washing away of the extension and a fire in 1917 destroyed the pavilion. By October 1927 following another storm, the length of the pier had been reduced to around , half its originally constructed length. Closure and demolition A storm in November 1977 destroyed a third of the pier, isolating the open-air dancing area. With repair costs estimated at £500,000 (), it was considered too prohibitive and demolition occurred in 1978. No pier was built to replace it. See also Central Pier, Morecambe References Citations Sources Further reading Piers in Lancashire Buildings and structures in Morecambe Buildings and structures demolished in 1978