Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History New Brighton Tower

Everyone knows about the Blackpool Tower, but few people know that New Brighton too had a similar tower which was infact taller.

The New Brighton Tower was taller than its cousin, standing it 172.8 metres and a massive success when first opened. The Blackpool Tower stands at a mere 158 metres compared to it.

Work started on its construction on 22 June 1896. The tower, which weighed 1,000 tons, was completed in 1900.

During the construction of the Tower six workmen were killed and another seriously injured either though falls or accidents. On completion the Tower was the highest building in the country.

Soon after the Tower was opened a young man threw himself off the balcony to be the first suicide from the building.

It sat in sumptious gardens with an enormous 2000 capacity ballroom at its base. Four lifts took the sightseers to the top of the structure at a cost of 6d offering views of as far as the Isle of Man, Manchester and Mount Snowdon.

Unlike the Blackpool Tower it had a lavish gothic base, as if sat ontop of a stately home.

It remained popular until World War One, the nation stopped partying so much and the tower was shut-down temporarily.

Sadly during the shut-down period the metalwork was neglected and it got rusty so with the war over in 1919 it failed to be suitable for public use.
Faced with a massive bill for restoring it the owners instead decided to pull it down and rely on income from the ballroom and gardens. It was dismantled between 1919 and 1921.

The ballroom lasted as a top concert venue until fire gutted it in 1969, shortly after the Beatles played there.



Other than the ballroom and the gardens, New Brighton Tower had a lot more to offer including:

The 'Old English Fairground' - Featuring the Himalayan Switchback Railway, Water Chute and a Lion House.

The Theatre - The theatre could hold 3,500 people, with the world's largest stage measuring 45 feet wide and 72 feet deep.

The Athletic Ground - To the rear of the Tower Building, with football pitch in the centre. It had a cycle track around it, where Cycle Championships were staged, the World Cycling Championship was held on the Tower Track in 1922. Motor bike racing was also staged on the track.

American Roller Skating Rink

An Open Market and Shops

Private Police Force - Consisting of 15 men to parade around the Tower and it's grounds to keep order.

The Tower Also had it's own football club - New Brighton Tower Football Club - Founded in October 1896 and battled for a place in the First Division of the Football League in the 1898/99 season. In those days there were 16 teams in the English League, which consisted of first and second divisions only.

The most interesting thing about writing this topic is that I learnt a lot myself too

It was actually taller than Blackpool tower!!

There are however no remains of this monster these days, though if you go to the end of the prom - to the mini roundabout (Past where the "Chelsea" used to be) - there is a hill and field - thats where the tower used to be....

ahh I was wondering where it was.

what happened?! New Brighton used to be amazing, the tower, the pier, amusements, open swimming pool e.t.c Now its just run down.

I think there should be funding to build it all back up again, creating tourism to the Wirral and it will also give kids around here something to do.

Interesting stuff Joe,
but i'm not sure if it looked ugly as hell or that's just me
the first picture in the first post makes it look evil.

Ive been told that its demise was lack of maintaince,
and in the end it was cut down for scrap metal.

Not sure about it but, would make sense.

You really should read the posts more Mark:

I was "TOLD" being the operative word.
I was told all about it by a relative, who remembers it.

And its good to see that both versions match up.

Lol i was nit picking, ya know me

It would be nice for New Brighton to be revived i.e. Make a huge Amusement park.. Yes we have the Wirral show but there is 3 HUGE fields which could accomodate a New Tower, Fairground and etc why on earth dont the council do something about it those fields are massive and they are being used for nothing only once a year so one on earth are the DIPS allowed to just be used once a year.. New Brighton used to be a Fun place to go when i was a kid the Indoor fair was fairly all right and the Adventure Playground to.. Know look at it.. The only decent place around the North West now is blackpool with Southport shut down so i recon they should revive the Town.

To the best of my knowledge the dips are classed as reclaimed land, created by dumping loads of sand there (to create storm protection), therefore no permanant structure can be built there, there is still tower grounds tho.

aye shame like cause the dips are huge...

Also, Pleasureland Southport is open again, under new ownership, its only travelling fair style rides at the moment but atleast its something.

http://www.newpleasureland.co.uk/

Oh nice at least Southport has something decent at least thats the only thing decent there pleasure land apart from the Ice Cream shop on Lord Street heh!

New Brighton Tower - a tribute

[youtube]wnS3ZLaXPMk[/youtube]

I didnt know about this Tower! Where about was the tower stood??

Don't know much really considering its the erea i live in!