Piers (the structures, not the people) are back in the news this week, with the announcement that Blackpool North, the oldest of the Lancashire town’s three pleasure piers, is for sale . Dating to 1863, it is, since the demise of Brighton West in East Sussex, the oldest surviving and best-preserved pier designed by the Victorian engineer Eugenius Birch, with a spidery cast and wrought-iron substructure and attractive minaret-roofed kiosks.

The owners said they intend to focus on their wider portfolio of local properties, including the Blackpool Central and South Piers. Both date back to the 19th century, but have undergone much modernisation and are not listed. ‘Given the competitive nature of today’s leisure market, I wonder if a suitable buyer will be found?’ asks Tim Mickleburgh, hon

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