cast iron piles down through the sand until they hit bedrock. The materials and building techniques were similar to those used for North Pier but the structure of Central is a little more delicate in appearance. The pier has suffered relatively little damage save for fires in 1964 and 1973 which gutted the theatre buildings. The main structural alterations have been the removal of the obsolete 131 yards (120 m) low tide jetty in 1975 and the construction of the Ferris wheel in 1990. The addition of the wheel required the midsection of the pier to be strengthened to cope with the extra weight. The Central Pier caught fire in July 2020, destroying a fairground ride and damaging an engineering shed halfway along the pier. Attractions Pirate's Bay Family Bar Blackpool Big Wheel Peter Sedgewicks Funfair Central Pier Family Entertainment Centre Old Tyme Portrait Studio See also North Pier, Blackpool South Pier, Blackpool List of piers in the United Kingdom References External links Central Pier Blackpool - Official Blackpool Central Pier The Heritage Trail - Blackpool Central Pier Engineering Timelines - Details of the pier's construction and history Cultural infrastructure completed in 1868 Piers in Blackpool Pier fires Tourist attractions in Blackpool 1868 establishments in England Amusement parks in England Burned buildings and structures in the United Kingdom