The Hidden History of Blackpool’s South Pier (It Wasn’t Always Called That!)

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Hello and welcome back to Visit Fel Coast. We're at Southshore at the moment. We are doing some um content in this area. So, there's some new videos for you to watch. I am back.

[00:00:14]Um we're going on South Pier. We're going to go and have a look at some of its past and some of its present.

[00:00:23]Um because this is one of Blackpool's oldest, longest standing attractions.

[00:00:29]um been here being here a long long time. So, we're going to go and take a look at this. So, if you enjoy these videos and you enjoy watching what we do, make sure that you've subscribed and make sure that you've got the notifications turned on because apparently it's turning everybody off.

[00:00:48]And don't forget to sign up for your visit felt coast email newsletter which you can get at visitfeltcoast.info/newsletter.

[00:00:57]don't know who that is, but he's another vlogger. He's talking to himself as well with one of these cameras.

[00:01:04]So, we're off. We're off onto the pier now. So, there you go. There's the pier at the back of us. And we're going to go and have a look and we're going to go and see what's to do. That was good timing. I caught that going the other way. This is a special heritage tram event today. Can't quite remember exactly what, but the heritage trams are still around. into the still in Blackpool. Anyway, back to South Pier.

[00:01:30]This is South Pier. It's one of those things that you're used to seeing and it's always there and you always go it when you come to Blackpool, but there's loads of interesting things that um date back donkey's years while we were all while we were all a twinkle in its little eye.

[00:01:51]For example, did you know that it was originally called Victoria Pier and it only got the name of South Pier in 1930?

[00:02:01]Did you also know that it dates back to Good Friday the 31st of March 1893 and that was when it was first opened.

[00:02:12]So it's at a bit of a junction. This is Station Road. We've done a video about Station Road if you want to watch that.

[00:02:17]Blackpool South Railway Station is just down there. So it was banging line for all the people to come on holiday and fall straight off a train and come straight onto the pier for a holiday.

[00:02:32]So we're going to go and have a look now because today there's all kinds of entertainment and side stalls and things to eat and things to do on on South Pier. Um, at one time, at one time it was considered to be a little bit more up market. And in 1909, it even had an outdoor skating rink. And it's a little bit breezy on here as well. I'm just thinking of fastening some buttons on me cardigan.

[00:03:02]I always come this way round when I walk on the pier because this is the this is the sunny side. This is the southern side of the pier. Um, and it it always looks a nicer view because you get all the sun and the light on it. The sea looks beautiful today. It's all green and wavy cuz it's windy.

[00:03:25]So, it was the last of Black Pulse 3 pierce to be built. And when we go through this gap, you'll see be able to see the other two.

[00:03:35]And they're all in a a very similar format. So, there's a there's an amusement arcade at the entrance to the pier. Um, and then there's all your bars and entertainment and rides and things further along as you as you get down the pier. So, that's the that's the central pier that you can see just down there.

[00:03:58]Look, with the big wheel on it and then obscured by central pier is north pier.

[00:04:07]But you can see how how long Blackpool seafront is. It's quite some distance, you know, to to cover in entertainment and attractions and all the things that Blackpool offers to people. It's some big resort, isn't it?

[00:04:22]Anyway, we're going to go back around here. We're going to go back around here to the other side. So, back in the 1890s, this cost what at the time would have been a whopping amount of money. It cost £50,000 to build.

[00:04:38]That must have been an arm and a leg back then. I doubt very much that they would have had sports bars back in 1893.

[00:04:51]I think they're a relatively modern addition. But that's ideal for when you want to watch the World Cup, which is coming up anytime soon. I have no idea when the World Cup's on. I'm not even remotely interested.

[00:05:06]All I want to know is whether England is still in the competition and whether or not we've won. And there's your view.

[00:05:12]I'm not looking over the edge. I don't like looking over the edge.

[00:05:18]It's blowy.

[00:05:19]It's mild, but it's blowy.

[00:05:24]So when it was originally opened down at the seawward end of the pier, there was a a a minouret topped grand pavilion um that was originally built there and it had had teen fires and been being rebuilt on many many different occasions until finally in 1964 before it reopened as South Pier Theater um which eventually closed and was demolished in January 1998 to be replaced by all of the Adrenaline rides which were just coming round to as we're walking around the back of the pier.

[00:06:13]And this is the Gin House. So there's entertainment here at the gin house um daily daily during peak season. So like for example next week it's um May Bank holiday week, spring bank.

[00:06:33]Um, so it's there's there's live entertainment on every day and then at weekends throughout the season.

[00:06:45]That looks like it's had a nice coat of paint, doesn't it? It's all laid out drying. So, I'm filming this on a Thursday at lunchtime.

[00:06:54]Um, a a week before the bank holiday begins. So, as you can see, they're still doing some maintenance. There's not very many people about and the side stoalls are closed. So, next time I come on here, we'll be into peak season and it'll be busy and it'll be packed, which is how we like it. Although, it's nice walking around. I I like I like British seaside on days like this. I think it's got its own charm. I'm not quite sure what it is. It's it's just nice in a in a completely totally different way. You've got the place to yourself and you can just wander about and look at stuff and when it's busy you can't move for people. Oh, look a wheel. Now, I'd seen this on Facebook, but I didn't know they'd actually they'd actually got a little wheel on South Pier. That's lovely. That's a bit more my level that I think when I when I come onto the pier and it's open. I think I might have a go on that. You know, that looks just about my my level. I could have a go on that and we could film me on it, couldn't we?

[00:08:12]She's brave, ain't she?

[00:08:15]I mean, worst case scenario.

[00:08:19]It's not that far from the top, is it? I mean, you do yourself a nasty injury if you fell off, but I That's lovely.

[00:08:31]So, it was the last of the peers to be built. And when they were originally built, they had a bit of a different naming system. So, the North Pier was North Pier, Central Pier was called South Pier. So this was called Victoria Pier after Queen Victoria and it all became very confusing. So they changed the name of this to South Pier in 1930 um and called South Pier which was Central Pier.

[00:09:06]Central Pier does not make any sense.

[00:09:13]And you get a lovely view of the water when you come down here as well.

[00:09:18]You can see you can see all the waves at high tide and looking back to shore as well. It's an interesting view. It's a fair choppy today.

[00:09:31]And this is the crazy coaster.

[00:09:35]So, we've done it's a long time ago, but we did actually do a video of me walking around here cuz I'm notoriously not good with heights.

[00:09:46]I'm notoriously not good with heights and it's a long way down and it's a very it's very see-through that grid and I'm just wondering whether I feel brave enough.

[00:10:01]I mean, it's obviously Oh, it's horrible. It's It's obviously strong enough because it's holding a roller coaster, but I Oh, I just don't like this kind of thing. I can Oh, I can see straight between the cracks and it's Oh, horrible.

[00:10:26]Oh, goodness gracious me. I don't know whether you can see straight down. If you look, it's looking at me, isn't it?

[00:10:33]It's got a face track on.

[00:10:36]If you look between Oh, I can't. I can't. I'm just not.

[00:10:44]It's bad enough walking on a pier.

[00:10:48]Oh, that's really my stomach.

[00:10:57]And don't jump off.

[00:11:02]So that's kind of most of South Pier. So it's free admission which is good. So you can even if you don't want to come on the rides, you can come and walk around and enjoy the atmosphere and laugh at people who do want to use the ride. It's free admission. The arcades at the entrance to the pier are open daily and that's throughout winter as well.

[00:11:32]Um, the pier itself is open at February half term, weekends until Easter and then daily until the end of the illuminations.

[00:11:42]Well, I'm saying end of the illuminations until autumn half term, which was traditionally the end of the illuminations, but of course they're extended now all the way through to Christmas.

[00:11:57]So, if you're looking for family entertainment and and an indoor kind of entertainment place, you need to be on Central Pier and you need to be in Pirates Bay Family Bar. All right, like that. I'm going to take some photographs. That's why I'm hovering around it. It's naughty, isn't it?

[00:12:20]Wonder if it's come from Amsterdam.

[00:12:24]And apparently there's love locks coming as well. There's a love locks thing on Central Pier. Um, and they're going to put one on South Pier as well cuz they get loads of people putting padlocks on the railings.

[00:12:38]So, they're going to put a heart-shaped metal structure on South Pier, and that's where you um you buy a a a padlock from one of the the BS, and then you put your padlock on the on the heart-shaped installation.

[00:13:04]I don't think the weather can quite make its mind up what it wants to do. There supposed to be a heat wave coming next week, which will be nice. I think we're all sick to the back teeth of winintry weather. We've had a few nice days and it wets your appetite.

[00:13:24]It wets your appetite for it.

[00:13:31]So when you come to the gin house, you can also use the gin garden as well. And you can sit outside and you can enjoy the sunshine and the view.

[00:13:45]Very nice, very civilized.

[00:13:48]Oh, this is the love locks thing. Look, I thought we might find it when we came back the other side. Look, you can see a few odd ones.

[00:13:58]There's just a few odd little padlocks, old ones that have in abandoned.

[00:14:06]And this is the new This is the new thing. So, you buy your lock. It's that new. There's none on it.

[00:14:14]So, you buy your lock and then you fasten it onto the onto the metal work. It's clever. I like that.

[00:14:23]Heart of South Pier. They ought to have put it on the other side though because most of the pictures that people take are going to be in silhouette.

[00:14:35]Yeah, they're going to be in silhouette which is going to mean that as you can see like that the it goes black and you can't see the detail properly. Good idea. So, you buy one from any of the kiosks um like these and then you just fasten it on and then you can immortalize your love.

[00:14:59]I think I'm going to be putting my coat back on. It's starting to blow cold. I had thought about going via notes for an ice cream.

[00:15:10]It's hard to think, isn't it? If the weather forecast to be believed on Saturday, everybody will be sitting outside here with a drink in the hand and enjoying the view and the sunshine.

[00:15:34]Thank you for visiting South Pier. We'll go through the amusement and I'll show you what's inside.

[00:15:48]Oh, it's a big top. Look at that. That's really clever, isn't it? Toilets.

[00:15:54]Toilets just inside the back door.

[00:15:57]And then plenty of amusement.

[00:16:01]Pac-Man.

[00:16:03]I never remember what these are called, but the ones where you where you whack the thing from one end to the other.

[00:16:12]Penny slots.

[00:16:14]No arcade would be complete without penny slots.

[00:16:18]Space Invaders.

[00:16:21]Oh, I used to like Space Invaders. Old school Space Invaders.

[00:16:27]Clowns. This is the one that I like in um Coral Island.

[00:16:37]I like this um tenting that they've got inside. That's really clever.

[00:16:44]Like that. Change booth.

[00:16:48]Cano keys.

[00:16:51]Ticket trail.

[00:16:59]Oh. Oh, I thought that were dinosaurs then for a minute. I thought that was dinosaurs.

[00:17:07]Shooting games.

[00:17:09]Lucky day at Oh, and Zultan.

[00:17:13]No arcade would be complete without Zultan, would it?

[00:17:18]And the flags.

[00:17:20]So, that's South Pier. That's South Pier. It's been there since 1893 and it's still going strong. And if I could count, I'd tell you how many years that is, but it's a lot. It's over a hundred. It's well over a hundred. So, it's changed throughout the decades.

[00:17:39]It's changed throughout the centuries, never mind the decades, and evolved and altered to keep up with changing changing times and people's changing taste because nothing can stand still, can it? So, oh, I think he's toing at them. There's a gang of people stood on the gang of people stood on the line down here. Oh, there's the tram again.

[00:17:59]Just a minute. Just a minute. We caught it coming and going. Look. So, I hope you've enjoyed I hope you've enjoyed this little video.

[00:18:09]And you're going to enjoy your visit to South Pier when you come to Blackpool.

[00:18:17]>> So, have a great time and don't forget to subscribe to visit Fal Coast. Until next time, we'll see you later.