With news that Southbourne Lift has reopened, we look at old pictures of the world record-beating railway.
Also known as the Fisherman's Walk Cliff Railway, the lift was built in 1935.
There were once three cliff lifts in Bournemouth and this one is the newest. In addition, there were the West Cliff and East Cliff.
East Cliff closed in 2016 following a landslide and has never returned to use. West Cliff is still in operation to this day.
The Southbourne Lift was built to provide a convenient way for people to get to the beach, especially for those who had difficulty walking up the steep cliffs.
It was also seen as a way to attract tourists to the area.
The lift is a funicular railway. This means it has two cars on parallel tracks connected by a cable, which move up and down the hill together.
The lift is powered by an electric motor, is 128 feet and takes about 30 seconds to travel from top to bottom.
In 2015, the Southbourne Lift was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the shortest funicular railway in the world. It still holds this record today.
From Easter to October, it’s usually a popular tourist attraction that offers stunning views of the coastline. But, this year, it has been closed until now to undergo essential repairs and major improvements.
To celebrate the reopening of this much-loved, record-breaking lift, we take a look at pictures from old postcards.
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