Southend's Cliff Lift: How it was built 111 years ago

One of those highs came last week when the landmark was recognised as a site of historical importance at a special ceremony.

The lift, considered one of Southend’s most treasured attractions, was honoured by the National Transport Trust’s Red Wheel Scheme which celebrates the most significant transport heritage sites in the UK.

A commemorative plaque to mark the occasion was unveiled at a ceremony by Southend’s mayor Stephen Habermel.

When the Cliff Lift opened in August of 1912, it received equal praise. It was hailed as a state-of-the-art addition to the town (even if the Southend Standard newspaper described it as a less than impressive “big lift from the seashore” which would be “interesting to invalids”).

The lift had to be built because Southend councillors were getting inundated with complaints from fed-up tourists and local Southend residents and workers wanting a smoother way of getting up to the Cliffs from Western Esplanade.

There had been an earlier lift installed at the Cliffs site in 1901 by the American engineer Jesse W. Reno. It was known as the Reno Electric Stairway. A huge water fountain was erected at the foot of the lift in 1909.

However, the novelty of the Reno stairway soon wore off. It proved to be noisy, clunky, and unreliable due its exposed location. It also become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour. Groups of men and women, often drunk, began to hang around under the lift.

In October of 1905 a woman named Ada Ray was summoned to court for using indecent language on the electric lift. She had been seen by a police officer hurling insults at another woman below. She was given a fine.

Something more modern was needed to improve the area, and in May 1912 council bosses sprang into action. They organised for the old Reno elevator to be dismantled and handed the land over to builders to create a new electrical lift.

The project was put into the capable hands of Messrs R Waygood and Co Ltd, of Great Dover Street, East London, who were well-known lift specialists of the time. What the company ended up building in Southend was ahead of its time.

It was a pioneering moving walkway and a forerunner of today’s escalator. The Southend Standard newspaper lauded the modern techniques of the new gear on the lift, which was identical to ones recently used for new cliff lifts at other heaving seaside resorts of Folkstone, Hastings, Margate, Bournemouth and Broadstairs.

No expense was spared. All the parts of the lift had been machine cut to ensure the smooth running and precision of the lift, while the gear was also fitted with duplicate magnetic breaks.

Safety of passengers had been seen as a top priority. “The lift is secured by two steel ropes , each capable of sustaining the car by itself with perfect safety,” the Standard reported.

“Run on the trolley system the lift is fitted with further special safety arrangement should either or both ropes break the car automatically grips a centre steel rail from beneath and cannot slip.”

This photograph was taken in 1930 as improvements to the lift were being made (Image: Archives)

This first electrical Cliff Lift travelled at the speed of 300ft per minute (about 3.3 miles an hour) and was built to hold 30 people each way. Inside it was originally furnished with exquisite, panelled oak and fitted with two long seats.

The cost of a ride in 1912 was 1d (one penny) for each person and 4d for a bath chair lift.

Since opening in 1912 the lift has been modernised three times - in 1930, 1959 and 1990. Each modernisation has resulted in the replacement of the car.

In 2003 the line was closed due to technical problems, and refurbishment was undertaken.

In 1925 a story hit the headlines that shows just how difficult life was for those unfortunate enough to find themselves without a home. It was about a man who had been living underneath the Cliff Lift for sometime.

“Friendless consumptive’s sad end – picked up garbage for food” was the headline An unknown man with no home and no friends, and whose only sleeping place was under the Cliff Lift on the seafront, had died of consumption, brought on by living out in the elements.

For some time the man had been living off rubbish and scraps he picked up in the street.

An inquest into the death found the man’s body to be in an emaciated state.

His lungs were ravaged by consumption and doctors could only guess at his age at somewhere between 40 and 50.

An old postcard describes the Cliff Lift as the “electric stair” (Image: Archives)

Leslie Postern, aged 20 from North Avenue, Southend, was the electric lift operator at the Cliff Lift and was used to seeing the man around.

He told the inquest into the victim’s death he knew the man by sight but not by name “He was always walking about trying to find something to eat,” he said.

He added how on the previous Sunday morning he had seen the man pick up and eat some fried fish that had been thrown away, and how he often saw the man sleeping under the lift.

“He always looked ill and thin and could hardly walk,” Mr Postern added.

That day Mr Postern called a policeman when he saw the man looking very ill.

PC Burgess from the Southend Constabulary was called out and found the man lying down at the base of the Cliff Lift, too weak to stand.

Asked what was the matter the man told the policeman he felt “very ill”. PC Burgess tried to help the man stand to get some air but he collapsed.

The policeman went off to call for medical help but by the time he got back the poor man was “just dying”.

By the time a doctor arrives he had passed away.

Despite attempts by the authorities no information could be found as to the man’s identity and the coroner recorded a verdict that the victim died from consumption accelerated by exposure.

Perhaps that is the saddest part of the story, that the man went to his grave without anyone even knowing his name – without a single person to mourn him.

The Cliff Lift today is open from 10.30am until 3pm daily but is dependant on volunteer availability, with more being sought to join the team. If you are interested visit during opening hours and speak to a lift operator.