Do you miss the West Pier columns? Some of them are soon to go on sale for anyone wanting a large memento of the pier.
The columns removed from the beach this year are safely in storage ready to be made into a memorial garden when the Brighton i360 is finished.
But some of those which were first put up for sale in 2010 are now on the market again, alongside lamps, railings and other decorative cast iron pieces.
These were sold to Dorton Reclaim by the West Pier, which has earmarked the proceeds for heritage and education use and will probably go towards the restoration of the 1866 octagonal kiosk as a West Pier heritage centre.
Rachel Clark, chief executive of the West Pier Trust said: “We retained all the material and spares necessary for the kiosk project plus any other key or especially interesting pieces. They were removed from our compound in May and are now safely stored elsewhere.
“There remained some larger, often damaged pieces that we’d tried but been unable to sell because most people wanted to buy fragments they could easily keep indoors.
“These pieces were not necessary for the kiosk restoration so when the area had to be cleared for i360 construction we sold them to Dorton’s architectural salvage business.”
The trust is hoping to submit an application for Heritage Lottery Fund money for the kiosk by the end of next month. It will hear if it’s successful in December, and if so will then have to submit a more detailed case.
A spokesman for Dorton’s said: “As part of the rejuvenation of the historic and beautiful West Pier location, Dorton Reclaim is clearing an area of the beach-side structure.
“This area includes a number of the iconic columns that supported the pier so elegantly for over a century, as well as a wealth of cast iron pieces such as lamps, railings and other decorative pieces that would be perfect in a seaside renovation or to add a bit of Victorian charm to your house.
“Even the wood from the root deck of the West Pier will be salvaged and taken to the reclamation yard. Anything that can’t be resold is recycled.”
If interested, visit www.dortonreclaim.com and sign up for the pre-claim service to be informed when pieces become available.
Did you buy any of the surplus ironwork when it first went on sale in 2010/2011? Let us know what you’ve done with it by emailing editor@brightonandhovenews.org or tweeting a picture to @BHCityNews.
