epw002058 ENGLAND (1920). The Pleasure Beach and Victoria Pier, Blackpool, 1920

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Nearby Images (4)

EPW002058
  0° 0m
EPW029208
  165° 55m
EPW012495
  268° 76m
EAW020134
  356° 165m

Details

Title [EPW002058] The Pleasure Beach and Victoria Pier, Blackpool, 1920
Reference EPW002058
Date July-1920
Link
Place name BLACKPOOL
Parish
District
Country ENGLAND
Easting / Northing 330599, 433253
Longitude / Latitude -3.0535996561701, 53.790742919846
National Grid Reference SD306333

Pins

The South Pier (originally known as Victoria Pier) Blackpool - opened in 1893.

Ubik360
Sunday 16th of May 2021 09:39:27 AM
It looks as if the Switchback was being demolished at this time tomake way for the Big Dipper.

SteamCoaster83
Saturday 30th of May 2020 09:40:47 PM
This was a theatre that later succumbed to a rather nasty fire.

SteamCoaster83
Saturday 30th of May 2020 09:39:40 PM
This is the Scenic Railway, NOT the Grand National as the pin to the right says. The Grand national was not built until 1935.

David Gregory
Saturday 22nd of December 2018 03:38:36 PM
The Rainbow Wheel

Brigham
Monday 6th of February 2017 04:48:27 PM

Ginger79
Monday 23rd of January 2017 01:00:03 AM
Casino 1913 (replaced 1939)

J May
Tuesday 30th of August 2016 11:54:52 AM
This is the switchback railway - it operated between 1891 and was removed sometime in the 1920's

Nemesis
Tuesday 27th of January 2015 12:02:36 PM
This is the Velvet Rollercoaster. It operated between 1909 and 1932 when it was dismantled and rebuilt in a new layout and new location and reopened as the Rollercoaster in 1933. Nowadays it is called the Nickelodeon Streak (2015). Information from RCDB.com

Nemesis
Tuesday 27th of January 2015 11:55:16 AM
This is the "Grand National", a double roller coaster where two sets of carriages race each other. Still going strong.

Norman
Sunday 15th of September 2013 05:19:12 PM
It is the site of the current "Grand National" which was constructed in the 1930s. I assume the one in the picture is a previous coaster.

Peter
Friday 28th of November 2014 07:47:08 PM
The date of the picture is 1920 - unfortunately "the Nash" didn't start operating until 1935 so this coaster is actually the Scenic Railway (if you look at the sheds towards the right of the picture it does say so). The scenic railway operated between 1907 and 1933

Nemesis
Tuesday 27th of January 2015 11:59:25 AM
I think this is the "Whip" or it's precursor managed by my uncle in the 1950s with his wife taking the money.

Norman
Sunday 15th of September 2013 05:14:12 PM
Sir Hiram Maxim's Flying Machine - still going today (2013)

edqdpmad
Wednesday 5th of June 2013 04:16:05 PM
Watson Road - Why on earth did they then continue the road to the promenade seperating the already built Pleasure Beach. I'd always though the PB evolved around an already well established road!

Beaker141
Wednesday 21st of November 2012 09:10:10 PM
Watson Road, formerly Watson's Lane, predates the Pleasure Beach by a long time

robert1960
Wednesday 15th of July 2015 11:06:15 AM
What would have been in here?

SteveAUS
Wednesday 27th of June 2012 11:01:08 AM
This was probably the Spectatorium an example of a cyclorama.



See http://www.acwrt.org.uk/uk-heritage_Battles-in-the-Round.asp

Phil
Wednesday 27th of June 2012 10:41:19 PM
This was known as the Indian Theatre when it was destroyed by fire in the 1940s. It was prevously a diarama called the Merimac and the Monitor. It depicted a naval battle from the American Civil War.

nathanielbagshot
Saturday 14th of November 2015 09:39:02 PM

User Comment Contributions

Amazing. The amount of times ive been there and never knew that it was called pleasure beach was literally on the beach. Absolutely fascinating.

SteveAUS
Wednesday 21st of November 2012 09:08:55 PM
And note that the tramway terminates there, before the South Shore promenade was extended. At least one of the orginal Pleasure Beach rides still exists.

Graham
Sunday 1st of July 2012 07:44:39 AM
Amazing image - I lived in Blackpool for the first 24 years of my life and in all that time didnt realise it was built on the beach like that!

Beaker141
Wednesday 21st of November 2012 09:08:55 PM
One of my favourite photos of Blackpool at this time showing the South Pier and the very sparse-looking Pleasure Beach, most of which looks like it was built straight on top of the sand.



Now, the promenade continues for at least another mile or so with more hotels and houses and the expanse of sand next to the railway line is all Pleasure Beach.

Chris
Friday 29th of June 2012 09:31:41 AM