At the turn of the 20th century the holiday trade was developing and in 1901 a pier was built at Minehead to allow pleasure steamers to call independent of tides. In Minehead - Port of Call , Minehead born local historian Charles Atkins charts the history of Minehead Pier from its initial planning to its dismantling in 1940 at the instruction of the War Office. Original postcards and photos depicting the pier and attendant pleasure steamers add a poignant pictorial record of the lives of local residents and visitors alike.