The English invented seaside holidays in the 17th Century and the Pier is as

typical of an English seaside holiday as the 'Bucket & Spade', ‘Beach Huts’

and 'Saucy Postcards'.

In 1750 Dr. Richard Russell promoted

the 'benefits' of sea bathing at

Brighthelmstone - now known as

Brighton. In 1783, George IV - then

Prince of Wales, moved to Brighton as

he was a sufferer of glandular neck

swelling.

With the invention of the bathing

machine by Benjamin Beale, other

seaside resorts would soon follow Brighton in popularity, but as roads were

still too impractical for travelling long distances, the best means of transport

was by sea.

The drawback with sea travel was that most wharves and landing stages were only accessible at high tide - longer piers, accessible at any tide, were needed, and

in 1814 Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight was finished, becoming the first promenade pier in Great Britain.

A pier is a structure built out into the sea from the coastline on piles or pillars for use as a landing place or promenade.

Eugenius Birch designed the 1,115 ft long West Pier, Brighton in 1866, Margate Pier in 1856 and the North Pier, Blackpool in

1863.

In the 1820s paddle-steamers and trains meant that it was even easier to travel and the Bank Holiday Act of 1871 helped

many working-class families to enjoy day trips.

The pier was an essential part of the Victorian holiday, yet since World War II piers have enjoyed less popularity as more and

more visitors, instead of enjoying a British bucket-and-spade holiday, have gone for package holidays abroad.

Blackpool

Blackpool has three piers along with a pier at St. Anne’s to the South. Blackpool is a seaside resort on the Irish Sea coast of England and due to it’s proximity to

Manchester & Liverpool, in Victorian times became the holiday destination for both the elite and the working classes. It's known for Blackpool Pleasure Beach, an

old-school amusement park with vintage wooden roller coasters. Built in 1894, the landmark Blackpool Tower houses a circus, a glass viewing platform and the

Tower Ballroom, where dancers twirl to the music of a Wurlitzer organ. Blackpool Illuminations is an annual light show along the Promenade.

North Pier

Family-friendly amusements, theatre shows, carousel, sun lounge and cafe on restored Victorian pier.

Central Pier

Opened in 1868, this wood & iron pier features a ferris wheel, a funfair & other attractions. Central Pier is

close to the RNLI station where the Fat Badgers first went to see the Lifeboat ‘Rotaract I’ that we were

involved in raising funds for.

South Pier

Bustling boardwalk & pier offering amusement rides, live music events, eateries & arcade games.

St Anne's Pier

Lytham St Annes is a seaside town in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is on the Fylde coast,

directly south of Blackpool on the Ribble Estuary. The town is almost contiguous with Blackpool but is separated from it by Blackpool Airport. Shorter than the piers

at Blackpool, the pier at Lytham St. Annes is still home to an amusement arcade, crazy golf and a coffee shop.

Brighton Palace

To replace the Chain Pier which had been destroyed by a storm in 1896, building began on this 1760ft pier in

1891 and it opened on 20th May 1899. The designer`s name was R. St. George Moore. However, the 1500-

seat theatre at the seaward end wasn’t opened until 3rd April 1901. Construction had cost a record

£137,000. A pavilion was added to the centre of the pier in 1910 followed, a year later, by a steamer landing

stage. The pier was extended in 1938 but was temporarily sectioned as a war time precaution in 1940. A

drifting barge caused £100,000 of damage in October 1973.

The theatre was closed and the landing stage was wrecked. It was demolished in 1975. The Noble

Organization took over the pier in March 1984. they dismantled the theatre in 1986, on condition that it would

go into storage for eventual restoration. However, it is not now known what happened to the theatre`s

remains. This has led to protests from The Theatre`s Trust and other bodies. In 1995 The Noble

Organization announced a £20 million expansion plan for keeping Brighton Palace pier as the 'Best in

Britain' and 'Brighton at the forefront of British coastal resorts'. The plan included a two storey auditorium

and restaurant at the pier head, a covered walkway, a 20ft widening of the pier`s spine and an amusement

arcade and cafeteria at the foreshore.

Brighton West

Work on this 1115ft pier, designed by Eugenius Birch, started in 1863. The cost was £30,000 and it opened on October 5th 1866. The southern end pavilion was

constructed in 1893 but was rebuilt and enlarged two years later. In 1896, landing stages were constructed. These were extended in 1901. A bandstand, halfway

along, was removed in 1916 and this part of the pier was widened and a Concert Hall added. A new top deck entrance was added in 1932. The West Pier Trust

was created to save the West Pier and return it to use. It is a charity and a limited company and has acquired the ownership of the pier and the rights that attach to

it. It is non-profit making. All proceeds, even from commercial-style operations on the pier, are directed towards the restoring, maintaining, improving and indefinite

preserving of the pier. West Pier was damaged in the 1970s by a storm and is closed.

Clacton

Designed by Peter Bruff, Manager and Engineer of the Eastern Union Railway, the pier opened on 18th July 1871. A lifeboat station was added in 1878 and

extensions in 1890/3 took the pier`s length to 1180ft. A new polygonal head incorporated a pavilion with concert hall, stalls and refreshment and waiting rooms. The

new landing stage catered for increased steamer traffic. In 1898, the original pier company went into liquidation. When the Coast Development Company took over

the structure, it was valued at £51,112. Clacton Pier features a wide variety of family entertainments on a six-and-a-half acre site. Admission to the Pier is free and

many of the attractions are undercover, including the traditional rides such as The Waltzer and The Dodgems. Among the Pier's popular attractions is the

Seaquarium, which this year will be extra value for money as the entrance is via the Pier's ticket system. Opening later this year is the Pier's new attraction, The

Haunted Mansion, which promises to take you on a spooky journey in the tradition of the Ghost Train with latest design features.

Cleethorpes

Built for £8000 by Head Wrighton, Cleethorpes Pier opened on August Bank Holiday, 1873. Financed by Manchester,

Sheffield And Lincolnshire Railway, they took on the lease in 1884 for £450 p.a and bought the pier twenty years later for

£11,250. A pier-head concert hall was built in 1888 but was destroyed by fire in 1903. A new pavilion was built near the shore

in 1905 and a cafe and shops were built on the site of the original building. An elevated link to the adjoining 'Pier Gardens'

was also added at this time but was removed in the 1930s. In 1936, LNER sold the pier to Cleethorpes Council. It was

breached in 1940 for defence purposes and the isolated seaward section was demolished after the war. The pier now

measured 335ft compared to its original 1200ft. Cleethorpes Pier is now home to the Pier 39 Nightclub.

Clevedon

Clevedon Pier in Somerset is located on the eastern shore of the Severn Estuary. Once described by Sir John Betjeman as "the most beautiful pier in England" Clevedon was designated a Grade I listed building in 2001 after being restored to its former glory in 1998. Originally built during the 1860's, openiong in 1869, to attract tourists and provide a ferry port for rail passengers to South Wales. The pier is 312 m (1,024 ft) long with a pavilion on the pier head which houses a small cafe. Two of the spans collapsed during stress testing in 1970 and demolition was proposed, but local opposition was strong and The Clevedon Pier Preservation Society was formed in 1972 and started campaigning for the restoration of the pier.

Colwyn Bay

Work began in 1889 to the design of Maynall and Littlewood of Manchester. The pier opened on 1st June 1900 to a length of 220ft, including a 2500 seat pavilion.

The Bijou theatre built in 1916, accommodated 600. In 1922, the main pavilion was burnt down. It was replaced the following year, by the pier`s new owners, the

local council. In 1933, the pavilion was once again destroyed by fire and, two months later, a seperate blaze wrecked the Bijou theatre. A replacement pavilion

opened in 1934. Repairs were made to the pier in 1954 and from 1964 onwards. Trust House Forte became owners in 1968, and the structure was refurbished.

However, in 1976, THF applied to demolish the seaward end. A 4000 signature petition helped persuade Colwyn Borough Council to refuse permission. Parker

leisure Holdings bought the pier in 1979 and converted the 'Dixieland Showbar' into a disco with adjoining bars. Colwyn Bay Pier changed ownership in December

2003 with plans to restore to it's original Victorian condition.

Great Yarmouth

The pier was first proposed in 1856 and work began in September 1857. A.W.Morant was the engineer. The 700ft structure opened on 13th July 1858. The length

of the pier was reduced by a ship collision in 1859 and storm damage in 1868. It was demolished in 1899. A replacement was started on 13th December 1900 to

the design of James and Arthur Mayoh. The 810ft pier deck and temporary pavilion opened in 1901. This pavilion was replaced with the grand first pavilion which

opened on 21st June 1902. This was, however, destroyed by fire on 22nd December 1909. The second pavilion was completed in 1910, but was itself burnt down

on 17th April 1914, allegedly by the suffragettes, who had been refused permission to hold a meeting there. Within three months a third pavilion had been built,

opening on 27th July. The present pavilion opened on 27th June 1958, but the ballroom ( called the Ocean Ballroom from 1947 ) was never replaced.

Hythe

Built between 1879 and 1881, designed by James Wright and built by Bergheim of London for the Hythe Pier

and Hythe and Southampton Ferry Company Ltd, with later additions and repairs. Since at least the late C16

ferries and boats have operated from around a gravel hard at Hythe. In 1830 the first passenger steamer

ferry was advertised operating between Hythe and Southampton, run by a company led by Mr WC Westlake.

In 1870 a Bill was submitted to Parliament for the construction of a pier to replace the existing gravel hard.

Royal Assent for the pier was eventually granted in 1878. The Hythe Pier and Hythe and Southampton Ferry

Company Ltd (established in 1874), began construction of the 2100ft (640m) long pier in 1879. It was

designed by James Wright and built by Berghiem of London. In addition an area of land was adopted to form

an approach to the pier, including the provision of a tollhouse located to the south side of the pier (the former

tollhouse was not assessed). The official opening ceremony was held on 1 January 1881, performed by the

Mayor of Southampton.

By the 1890s, the north end of the pier was flanked by a pair of timber-clad waiting rooms and facilities,

including toilets and pantry in the building on the north side. The principal ferry docking point was at the east end with stairs leading down to a lower level for

embarkation. There were also further interim landing stages, later furnished with shelters, located along the length of the pier which could be used at high tide. In

1894 the Hythe Sailing Club was allowed to establish a clubhouse in the existing building on the east side of the pierhead, subdividing the space for various club

facilities including sleeping compartments. At around this time the western building was extended to the north providing a new waiting room for ferry users. In 1896

£1500 was spent on the pier, including a complete re-planking by Roe and Grace of Southampton. In 1921 the Club added a further northern extension to their

clubhouse with the addition of a general room.

The 1870s plans for the pier had allowed for a railway to operate along the centre of the pier deck, but these had not been taken forward in the final design. In

1909 track and sidings were laid down for running a hand propelled luggage trolley along the piers west side. In 1922 this was replaced by a narrow-gauge electric

railway, on the third-rail system, installed along the east side to facilitate the transport passengers and their luggage to the ferry landing stage. It is understood that

the train service, which is still in operation, is the oldest continuously-operating pier train in the world. In around the 1920s a ticket office and parcel office was

added to the landward end of the pier, replacing the original tollhouse (which became a pier office), as was a workshop for the maintenance of the new pier train;

these buildings flanked a small maintenance yard and passenger platform.

By 1932 a pontoon had been added to the north end of the pier for use as the ferry landing stage and linked to the main pier structure by a footbridge. During the

Second World War an Anti-Aircraft searchlight (no longer extant) was added to the roof of one of the north-end buildings. On 24 May 1944, in advance of the D-Day

landings, King George VI landed at Hythe Pier while travelling between inspections of HMS Squid, the shore based Combined Operation Base at Southampton,

and the Broadlands Estate, Romsey where many British and American soldiers were encamped. The pier was lined with sailors. Upon landing at the pierhead, His

Majesty was met by a small landing party and travelled on the pier train to the landward end where he was received by a larger party before being taken by car to

Broadlands. A commemorative plaque was placed in the carriage which had been ridden by King George; the plaque was later stolen.

In 1947 the pierhead went through some reconstruction, including the movement of the pontoon further away from the pierhead and a replacement footbridge (the

mid-C20 bridge and pontoon were replaced again later). In the early 1960s the pier’s land-side entrance was ‘modernised’; at around this time the interim landing

stage shelters along the pier were removed.

The pier has been subject to piecemeal repairs throughout its history, many due to damage suffered through vessel collisions, one of the most recent being in

2016.

Llandudno

Elegant Victorian pier lined with seaside novelties and food stalls, including a pier-end bar. The Pier,

including Stone Lodge, Pier End Pavilions, Kiosks and remains of Pier Pavilion are Grade II* listed as the

finest Victorian pleasure pier in Wales.

The first pier at Llandudno, associated with attempts to make Llandudno a coal exporting harbour for the N

Wales coalfield was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1859.

The present pier was built in 2 main stages. The first portion of the pier opened on 1 August 1877. This

comprised a platform 1,234 feet (370m) long, supported by an understructure of piles placed at varying

intervals and connected by lattice braces and a platform deck with "a delicately worked fretwork balustrade

with hints of Chinoiserie". It joined land at the stone lodge to N of the Grand Hotel. The landward extension

spur and baths, to design of B Nelson, opened in 1884. Extension of the pier landwards was basically a sea

wall construction with Pier Pavilion at land end adjoining the former Baths Hotel (now the Grand).

The Pier Pavilion was a large iron and glass structure in the tradition of Paxton's Crystal Palace, originally

with a swimming bath on the lower floor. The main auditorium on the upper floor was cruciform on a level with the Happy Valley Road where the carriage entrance

was. The external veranda was added later. The Pavilion was a prestige auditorium and housed political conferences with speakers from Lloyd George to Oswald

Moseley, and a wide range of high and popular culture from Adelina Patti to Arthur Askey and George Formby. The pavilion was almost completely destroyed by

fire in the mid 1990s, with little remaining but parts of the verandah.

Mumbles

Designed by W. Sutcliffe Marsh, the 835ft pier opened on May 10th 1898. The cost of the pier was £10,000. It was the terminus for the Swansea and Mumbles

Railway, the promoter being John Jones Jenkins of the Rhondda And Swansea Bay Raiilway. Amusement Equipment Company Ltd. ( AMECO ) gained a licence to

operate the pier from 1st October 1937, later taking out a lease. They acquired the freehold in 1957. Sectioned in 1940, the pier was extensively reconstructed in

the 1950s, and a landing jetty was added. It officially re-opened on 9th June 1956. A new arcade was built on the pier`s frontage in 1966. AMECO spent between

£25,000 and £30,000 per annum on the maintenance and replacement of the steelwork between 1975 and 1985. The pier was closed on 1st October 1987 but re-

opened on Good Friday 1988, after £40,000 had been spent during the winter on renewing steelwork near to the entrance. AMECO have been running the pier for

over sixty years.

Ryde

The first of the great pleasure piers to be built, Ryde pier not only still survives, albeit in a somewhat different

form from the original structure, but continues to handle cross-Solent ferry passengers to this day. Designed

by John Kent of Southampton, the foundation stone of Ryde Pier was laid on 29th June 1813, the completed

pier opening a year later on 26th July 1814. Overnight the perilous embarkation and disembarkation of the

seafaring public had become a thing of the past. Originally built of timber, to a length of 1,740ft (527m), the

pier was little more than a 12ft (3.6m) wide wooden jetty able to handle only relatively small sailing boats, but

as the size of passenger vessels increased so did the pier. Ryde Pier was extended to a length of 2,040ft

(618m) in 1824 and the pier-head was enlarged in 1827. A further extension in 1833 took the overall length

to 2,250ft (681m), while the pier-head was again extended in 1842 and the late 1850’s.

To facilitate the easier movement of both people and goods a second ‘tramway’ pier was built immediately

alongside the existing structure, opening on 29th August 1864. Horses were the method used to pull the

trams however various experiments were tried with steam traction, but these met with little success. Work

began in 1877 on a third pier adjacent to the tramway pier, opening on 12th July 1880, and providing a direct

steam railway link to the pier-head. It was also around this time the horse drawn trams were finally replaced, not by steam, but by electric traction. Ryde Pier, by

now a substantial structure, comprised effectively of three separate piers, a promenade pier with intermittent shelters projecting seawards along its length, an

electric tramway pier and a steam railway pier. In 1895 a concert pavilion was constructed at the pier-head and over the next sixteen years the original wooden

piles were replaced in cast iron.

The tramway pier closed in 1969 and was partially dismantled leaving gaps between the railway and promenade piers, and the poor condition of the substructure at

the pier-head resulted in the demolition of the pavilion in 1971. The pier was however made a Grade II listed building in 1976, and a five-year re-planking project

was completed that December. In the early 1980’s a modern waiting area replaced the original Victorian waiting rooms at the pier-head and additional parking

spaces were also provided.

Although having lost its Victorian buildings, the promenade section of Ryde Pier still contains much fine wrought-iron work along its length. As mentioned previously

the pier continues as a working pier, trains still leave from the pier-head and Wight Link ferries operate a regular Catamaran service between Ryde and

Portsmouth. Probably the most exciting way to visit from Portsmouth is via the Hovercrafts that still land next to the pier.

Shanklin

By the early 1870s Shanklin on the Isle of Wight boasted over 40 hotels, and the Shanklin Esplanade and

Pier company was formed and applied for permission to build a pier. In 1874 the Shanklin Pier Act was

passed, and in 1878 the company issued a prospectus and advertised shares for sale. The plans for the pier

were drawn up in 1880, but the funds necessary to build the pier were not raised until 1888, by which time it

was necessary for Parliament to approve a second Shanklin Pier Act in 1886.

In August 1888 work on building the pier started, and when finished the pier was 1200 feet long. It was

raised from the esplanade to allow bathing machines to pass beneath, and had pagoda-style toll booths at

the entrance. The pier opened on August 18, 1890, and the first steamer to visit was the Flying Falcon. In

1891 the pier was even more popular when the Shanklin lift - a hydraulic lift to the esplanade from the cliff

top above - was opened, making access to the esplanade easier from the town. By 1893 a bandstand-like

pavilion had been built, and water polo was often played at the pier head. In 1899 Shanklin Urban District

Council bought the pier, and in 1909 built the Grand Pavilion in the centre of the pier at a cost of £4000 - it

was the largest pier pavilion on the island. The original pavilion continued to be used as a bandstand.

However, at 2am on October 16, 1987, the largest recorded hurricane to strike England hit Shanklin Pier.

The pier was ripped into three parts, with large sections torn away by the winds. South Wight Borough Council authorised the demolition of the remains of the pier,

and much of the remains of the pier was recycled to make sea defences.

Skegness

In 1877, the Earl of Scarborough, who had brought the railway to Skegness, formed the Skegness Pier Company. Clarke and Pickwell`s design was chosen from

the 44 submitted, and work began in 1880. The 1817ft pier had cost £20,840 when it opened on 4th June 1881. It included a 700 seat saloon / concert hall at the

pier head. Steamboat trips began in 1882. The pier-head saloon was extended in 1898, and new refreshment rooms were built at the pier-head.

In March 1919 the schooner 'Europa' breached the pier. A temporary gangway was completed by August but the pier was not fully restored until 1939. The north

and south entrances were built in 1929/30. The entrance was modernised in 1936/9 by incorporating a cafe and shops on either side of the archway. Sectioned

during World War II, the pier re-opened in 1948 after £23,528 had been spent on repairs.

Southend

The first pier was planned in 1828 and a 600ft wooden section opened in June 1830. The length had increased to 1.25 miles by 1846, making Southend Pier the

longest pier in Europe and probably the World. In August 1885, a replacement iron pier was planned and work began in 1888 to the design of James Brunlees. The

pier opened on 24th August 1890. £10,000 of the £80,000 cost was spent on the new electric railway.

An extension opened in 1898 making it the longest pier in the world at 7080ft. On July 25th 1908, the upper deck of the pier extension opened, followed by the

doubling of the rail track and the Prince George steamer extension in 1929. During World War II, the pier was used by the Navy. Huge popularity followed the war

with the electric train carrying 4,713,082 passengers in its first season ( 1949/50 ) and an additional one million people passing through the turnstiles. However,

falling trade led to a financial survey in 1970 and the pier`s entertainments were franchised.

Southport

Victorian engineer Sir James Brunlees masterminded the construction of Southport Pier, which opened to the public in 1860. Believed to be the first leisure Pier to

be built in the United Kingdom, it was originally 3,600ft long before being extended to it is maximum of 4,380ft in 1868, then the longest in Britain. The Pier perfectly

complimented the elegant resort of Southport which, to this day, retains a unique sense of style epitomised by the famous Lord Street.

A pier was first suggested in the 1840s but a company was not created until 1859. Work began the same year. Waiting and refreshment rooms for boat passengers

were added in 1862. A baggage line opened on May 7th 1863 but was re-laid the following year when the pier was widened and extended. It was upgraded to a

cable-operated tramway in 1865. A further extension, in 1868, brought the length to 4380ft. Storm damage and fires, in 1933 and 1957, reduced the length to the

present 3633ft - the second longest in Britain.

Southwold

Southwold Pier was constructed in 1900, following the passing of the Southwold Pier Order in 1899. 810ft long, it was built to the design of W. Jeffrey. The

Amusement Equipment Company Ltd, took over the pier in July 1906, after the Coast Development Company was wound up. In 1934, the T-shaped head was

destroyed by storms. Two years later, a new pavilion was built at the shoreward end, replacing existing buildings. 'Belle' steamers called from London, Clacton and

Great Yarmouth but this service ended in the 1930s.

The pier was sectioned as a war precaution in 1940 and was damaged by a mine. It was rebuilt in 1948 at a cost of £30,000. A gale, in October 1955, isolated the

seaward end, which washed away. Another storm, in February 1979, reduced the length to 150ft. Southwold Pier is now a privately owned pier. It is a family run

business, catering for the large number of visitors Southwold receives each year.

St. Annes-On-Sea

The 914ft pier was built at a cost of £18,000 for the St. Annes-On-Sea Land And Building Company Ltd. It opened on 15th June 1885 to the design of A. Dawson.

Extensions costing a further £30,000 were opened on April 2nd 1904 and included the famous 1000 seat Moorish Pavilion and various kiosks. The Mock Tudor

lodge at the entrance had opened a few years earlier and the Floral Hall ( in use by 1910 ) housed concerts, operas and vaudeville acts.

George Formby, Gracie Fields, Russ Conway and Bob Monkhouse have all performed at the pier. An amusement arcade was added to the entrance in 1954. The

children`s theatre was damaged by fire in 1959. In 1960, the pier was re-decked and a restaurant was added. In 1962, the Amalgamated Investment and Property

Company bought the pier for £240,000. The entrance pavilion, Floral Hall, landing jetty and children`s section were all renovated.

Swanage

The first, wooden, pier was built in 1859 by Mowlem`s. It was 750ft long and was used for shipping Purbeck stone and by passenger steamers. Until the 1950s, it

was a diving platform for Swanage Swimming Club. the first pile for the new 642ft pier was driven on 30th November 1895 and the first steamer, PS Lord Elgin,

called on 1st May 1896. It was opened to all traffic on 29th March 1897.

The greenheart timber piles were beginning to decay by the 1920s and, in 1927, they were lined with concrete. In 1939, the pier was breached as a war precaution

and was not repaired until 1948. The missing section was restored in concrete. Steamer traffic restarted, but ended on September 24th 1966: the last boat to call

was the PS Embassy. After this, the pier fell into disrepair. In 1986, Durrant Developments Ltd, bought it and planned to restore the pier. However, when the

company went bankrupt, the pier fell into the hands of the receiver.

Weston Super Mare (Birnbeck)

Birnbeck Pier was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened in 1867. It is the only pier which links the

mainland to an island just off shore. The pier is listed at Grade II and is on the English Heritage list of

buildings at risk.

In 1845 James Dredge designed a suspension bridge to connect the island to the mainand but, due to

difficulty raising sufficient funds, this was never completed.

In 1864 a prospectus was issued to raise £20,000 in 2000 shares of £10 each and construction of the

present pier began. It was designed by Eugenius Birch who was responsible for fourteen piers around the

British coast including those at Brighton, Aberystwyth, Blackpool and Eastbourne. It was built of

prefabricated parts made at Messrs Toogood's ISCA iron foundry in Newport, Gwent. The ornate gothic-style

toll-house and piermaster's house were designed by noted local architect Hans Price who practised in

Weston from 1862.

On 6th June 1867, Birnbeck Pier opened and in the first three months, 120,000 visitors passed through the

turnstiles. From April 1885 Birnbeck Pier had its own by-laws sanctioned and in use. The first life-boat was installed on the pier in 1882. It was slung from davits

until 1889 when a lifeboat house was built on the island on the north side of the bridge.

In 1901 a new lifeboat house was built on the south side of the bridge, at a cost of £2575. This has the longest lifeboat slipway in the country and is still in use

today.

In 1932 a new platform was constructed out of reinforced concrete. This was more successful than the previous one and still survives. On June 23rd 1938 The

Weston-super-Mare Pier Company entered into an agreement with the Board of Trade to purchase the bed of the sea immediately beneath the Pier, as well as

several pieces of land formerly part of the foreshore, all for the sum of £300. In 1974 the pier, including the toll-house, was listed Grade II by the Department of the

Environment, as a building of historical and architectural interest.

In 1990, Weston suffered from severe storms and gale force winds and damage was in evidence everywhere, not least on the pier and lifeboat slipway. This was

so badly damaged it was impossible to launch the lifeboat. The lifeboat house windows, though made of toughened glass, were smashed. Sadly in 1994 the pier

had become so unsafe that the Local Authority closed it, prohibiting all public access except for the lifeboat crews and fishermen.

Weston Super Mare (Grand)

Grand pier, 1½ miles long, was intended to serve two purposes: for shipping at all tides at the far end and for

entertainment near the shore. In practice, due to the strong tides and currents, it was both difficult and

dangerous for ships to tie up at the jetty and very few steamers ever berthed there.

Work started on 7th Nov 1903, driving of the commemorative pile. On 11th Jun 1904, the first part was

opened. The main pier is of openwork girders with traceried braces.

The Pavilion held a fine Edwardian theatre for 2,000 people and productions included opera, musical

comedy, music hall, Shakespeare, ballet and boxing. By 1906 a further span of 500 yards of pier with a

timber landing stage was constructed and opened, making total length of pier 2580 feet.

Light amusements were added in 1926, but the Pavilion shows still proved the main source of income until

13th Jan 1930 when the Pavilion was destroyed by fire. Between 1932-1933 the Pavilion was rebuilt, the

largest on any pier. Instead of a theatre it now housed a large funfair. In 1974 the Pier was listed by the

Department of the Environment as a monument of historic importance.

Yarmouth

Yarmouth pier on the Isle of Wight is predominantly used for fishing. Built in 1876 by a local contractor J

Denham of Freshwater. Built of timber piers with wooden handrail 700 feet in length. Groups of 4 piers

support a wooden platform with wooden handrail and trellised supports.

Small octagonal pavilion with polygonal roof and weathervane at pier head. Shore end has pavilion of

c.1927. This has a brick curved gable with stone dressings, a cartouche of the Yarmouth Town Trust, 2

round-headed windows and double door. Sides are weatherboarded and the roof is now covered in asbestos

slates.

The Pier is now a Grade II listed building.

More information on Piers can be found at the National Piers Society website.