The Gigantic Wheel. Winter Gardens, Blackpool (Prospectus)

The first big wheel was constructed by G.W.G. Ferris for the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, and was 250 feet high while another had been built for the Earl's Court Oriental Exhibition of 1895. The Directors of the Winter Gardens Company sought to build a rival attraction to the newly completed Blackpool Tower and decided upon a similar wheel.  They set up the Blackpool Gigantic Wheel Co. Ltd who contracted Walter Basset to construct a wheel similar to the one he had built at at Earl's Court.  Built at the corner of Adelaide and Coronation streets, it was opened to the public on 22 August 1896. Smaller than the London wheel, it differed from earlier wheels in that the cars were cantilevered out, giving the passengers a feeling of being suspended in space. The wheel itself was 214 feet high, and rotated every 15 minutes compared with 35 minutes for its London rival. However, the charge at Blackpool was only sixpence, compared with 1/‑ and 2/‑ in London.

The wheel was not a great success and several attempts were made to increase its popularity.  The first was to refit two cars, one as a tea room and the other as a table tennis room.  In 1898 the wheel was painted red, white and blue to attract attention.  Again this did not succeed and the wheel carried on not making much money until it took its final turn on 20th October 1928.  Dismantling by Ward Brothers of Eccles was completed by June 1929.  The cars were auctioned off for use as garden sheds and one still survived in 1976.

Mangnall & Littlewoods were named as company architects in the prospectus, they being already employed at the time on the refurbishment of the Winter Gardens. While having no involvement in the design of the wheel itself, Mangnall and Littlewood were presumably reponsible for the design of the ancillary buildings, turnstiles, etc.

Engineer :  Walter B Basset RN (retired),  Maudsley Son & Field Limited, engineers, London

Reference : Manchester City News 25 April 1896 Page 1
Reference : Manchester Guardian Saturday 26 April 1896 page 1