▁pier ▁was ▁commission ed ▁as ▁HMS ▁Bir n beck ▁by ▁the ▁Admir alty ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Director ate ▁of ▁Mis cell aneous ▁We ap ons ▁Development ▁( DM WD ) ▁for ▁research ▁into ▁new ▁weapons . ▁The ▁pier ▁re open ed ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁but ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁visitors ▁and ▁ste amer ▁passengers ▁decl ined . ▁The ▁final ▁exc urs ion ▁visited ▁the ▁pier ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁closure , ▁ownership ▁has ▁passed ▁hands ▁many ▁times ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁subject ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁propos als ▁for ▁its ▁re development ▁which ▁have ▁all ▁proved ▁fruit less . ▁The ▁pier ▁remains ▁in ▁a ▁largely ▁der el ict ▁state . ▁ ▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁pier ▁col lapsed ▁during ▁storm s ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁island ▁was ▁originally ▁called ▁Bear n ▁Back , ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁English ▁words ▁burn ▁and ▁b æ c ▁which ▁means ▁The ▁spring ▁bro ok ▁island . ▁It ▁was ▁pron ounced ▁by ▁loc als ▁as ▁Be - arn ▁Back ▁which ▁has ▁since ▁become ▁cor rupted ▁into ▁the ▁current ▁name ▁Bir n beck . ▁The ▁rock ▁is ▁lim estone , ▁giving ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁ge ological ▁term ▁" B ir n beck ▁Lim estone ▁Form ation ". ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁pier , ▁Bir n beck ▁Island ▁could ▁be ▁accessed ▁by ▁a ▁natural ▁cause way ▁at ▁low ▁t ide . ▁A ▁proposal ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5