Pleasure Piers

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Pleasure piers were first built during the early 19th century, and became popular during the Victorian era of the mid to late 1800s. The earliest pier was at Ryde (opened 1814), which is still open to this day. During this period, the railways were expanding allowing mass tourism to the coastal resort towns. Pleasure piers allowed holiday makers to promenade over and alongside the sea at all times. Since the introduction of commercial flights from the 1950's holiday makers flocked abroad and the seaside towns lost the tourist trade. Many piers became unprofitable and fell into disrepair. Many have since been destroyed by storms, demolished, or lay derelict.

At 7080ft (2158metres / 2.1km / 1.34miles) Southend-on-sea Pier is the longest pleasure pier in the world. Many piers are named 'Victoria Pier' after Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch of the Victorian times.


Eastbourne pier in 2011 © Oast House Archive

Pleasure Piers of Great Britain, by county
working clockwise from the Thames Estuary

Kent

Gravesend

TQ651744 Opened 1834

The oldest cast iron pier.

Sheerness

Opened (unknown) - Lost 1897 (washed away)

Herne Bay

TR170688 Opened 1896 - Part lost 1971

The pier was the second longest in the UK. Boats could dock at the end of the pier. A stub was left joined to the shore and a new sports centre built at the end of it 1976. The remains of the end of the pier can still be seen about 1km off the shore. Shared description



Herne Bay (New pier)

Margate

Opened 1855 - Closed 1976 (destroyed 1978)

Ramsgate - Marina Pier

Opened 1881 - Demolished 1930

Pegwell Bay

TR3463 Opened 1878 - Lost 1890s

A short lived landing for paddle steamers.

Deal

TR379527 Opened 1958 - Length 1026ft

This is the third pier at the site. The first, a 250ft pier from 1838 was washed away. The second, an 1100ft foot structure opened in 1864 was removed in World War II.

Dover - Promenade Pier

Opened 1893 - Demolished 1927

Folkestone - Victoria Pier

Opened 1888 - Closed 1943 (demolished 1954) - Length 683ft

East Sussex

Hastings

TQ811089 Opened 1872 - Closed 2007 - Length 910ft

The pier was fully closed in 2007 due to structural decay, and set on fire in 2010. It is now being built in a new form to re-open in 2015. Shared description

St Leonards

Opened 1891 - Closed during WWII (demolished 1951) - Length 960ft
See photo from 1894

Eastbourne

TV618988 Opened 1970 - Length 1000ft - Grade II* listed

Shared description

Brighton - Chain Pier

Opened 1823 - Destroyed by storm 1896 - Length 1134ft

Brighton - Palace Pier

TQ313035 Opened 1899 - Length 1760ft - Grade II* listed
Shared description

Brighton - West Pier

TQ303038 Opened 1866 - Lost 1975 - Length 1115ft

After decades of decay and a fire in 2005, only the iron remains of the pier are left. Grade I listed. Shared description

West Sussex

Worthing

TQ150021 Opened 1862 - Length 984ft - Grade II listed
Shared description

Bognor Regis

SZ935987 Opened 1865 - Length 350ft (originally 1000ft) - Grade II listed

Hampshire

Portsmouth - South Parade Pier

SZ65249807 Opened 1879 - Length 600ft (originally 1000ft)

Southsea Clarence Pier

SZ634988 Opened 1861 - Length 132ft

Lee-on-the-Solent

Opened 1888 - Closed 1932/1940 (demolished 1958) - Length 750ft

Southampton - Royal Pier

SU417108 Opened 1833 - Closed 1980 - Length 900ft

Only the base remains and the land based entrance which is now a restaurant. It is proposed to demolish the remains of the pier and create a new promenade.

Hythe

Opened 1881 - Length 2100ft

Used as a passenger ferry dock. With light railway.

Isle Of Wight

Cowes - Royal Pier

Opened 1867 - Destroyed by storm 1882 - Length 250ft

Cowes - Victoria Pier

Opened 1902 - Closed during WWII (dismantled 1961) - Length 170ft

Ryde

SZ592933 Opened 1814 - Length 2305ft - Grade II listed

Ryde - Victoria Pier

Opened 1864 - Lost 1924

Seaview Chain Pier

Opened 1881 - Lost 1952

Sandown

Opened 1879 - Length 875ft (originally 360ft)

Shanklin

Opened c1890 - Lost 1993

Ventnor - Royal Victoria Pier

Opened n/a - 1873 - 1993

Alum Bay Pier

Opened 1869 - Lost 1927 - Length 370ft

Totland Bay

SZ322871 Opened 1880 - Length 450ft

Yarmouth Pier

Opened 1876 - Length 609ft (originally 685ft) - Grade II listed

Dorset

Southbourne

Opened 1888 - Demolished 1909

Boscombe

Opened 1889 - Length 750ft - Grade II listed

Bournemouth

Opened 1856 - Length 750ft (originally 1000ft)

Swanage

Opened 1859 - Length 642ft (originally 750ft) - Grade II listed

Weymouth - Bandstand Pier

SY682799 Opened 1939 - Length 48ft (originally 200ft)

Weymouth

SY687790 Opened 1933 - Length 1300ft (originally 900ft)

Devon

Teignmouth - Grand Pier

SX942726 Opened 1867 - Length 625ft (originally 700ft)

Torquay - Princess Pier

SX914634 Opened 1894 - Length 780ft

Paignton

SX895608 Opened 1879 - Length 740ft (originally 780ft)

Plymouth Hoe Pier

SW807330 Opened 1884 - Lost 1953

Cornwall

Falmouth - Prince of Wales Pier

SW808330

Devon (continued)

Westwood Ho

Opened 1871 - Demolished 1880 - Length 600ft

Somerset

Minehead

Opened 1901 - Closed 1940 (dismantled during WWII) - Length 700ft
Lost/Derelict

Burnham-on-Sea

ST30324913 Opened 1914 - Length 117ft

Weston-Super-Mare - Grand Pier

ST314614 Opened 1904 - Length 1200ft (originally 1080ft) - Grade II listed



The pier caught fire on 28th July 2009

Weston-Super-Mare - Birnbeck Pier

ST307624 Opened 1867 - Length 1040ft (originally 1200ft) - Grade II* listed

Clevedon

ST401719 Opened 1869 - Length 842ft - Grade I listed

Shared description

Glamorgan

Penarth

ST190713 Opened 1895 - Length 658ft - Grade II listed

Port Talbot - Aberavon Pier

Opened 1898 - Closed during WWII (demolished 1962) - Length 900ft

Mumbles

SS631874 Opened 1898 - Length 835ft

Tenby - Royal Victoria Pier

Opened 1899 - Closed during WWII (demolished 1946-1953)

Dyfed

Aberystwyth Royal Pier

SN581818 Opened 1865 - Length 300ft (originally 700ft)

Gwynedd

Beaumaris

SH606758 Opened 1846 - Length 570ft

Bangor - Garth Pier

SH582734 Opened 1896 - Length 1500ft (originally 1550ft) - Grade II* listed

Clwyd

Llandudno

SH785832 Opened 1877 - Length 2295ft (originally 1234ft) - Grade II* listed

Rhos-on Sea

Opened 1895 - Fire damaged and demolished 1954

Colwyn Bay

Victoria Pier
Opened 1900 - Length 750ft - Grade II listed



The ownership and future of the pier has been under debate for a long time with the suggestion it was to be delisted and demolished. The end of the pier, however, gave way on 1 February 2017 and plans are afoot to dismantle it and store it for restoration.

Rhyl

Opened 1867 - Lost 1973 - Length 350ft (originally 2355ft)

Merseyside

New Brighton

Opened 1867 - Lost 1977

Southport

SD328180 Opened 1860 - Length 3633ft (originally 3600ft)

Lancashire

Lytham

Opened 1865 - Closed 1938 (demolished 1960) - Length 914ft

St Anne's

SD317285 Opened in 1885 - Length 600ft (originally 914ft) Shared description

Blackpool - South Pier

SD303337 Opened 1893 - Length 492ft

Blackpool - Central Pier

SD304354 Opened 1868 - Length 118ft (originally 1518ft)

Blackpool - North Pier

SD303363 Opened 1863 - Length 1318ft (originally 1410ft) - Grade II listed

Fleetwood

Opened 1910 - Closed 2000 (demolished 2008) - Length 415ft (originally 492ft)

Morecambe - West End Pier

Opened 1896 - Demolished 1978

Morecambe - Central Pier

Opened 1869 - Demolished 1992

Isle Of Man

Ramsey - Queen's Pier

Opened 1886 - Length 2224ft

Douglas

Opened 1869 - Relocated in 1895 to Rhos-on-sea

Midlothian

Edinburgh - Leith Trinity Pier

Opened 1821 - Destroyed by storm 1898 - Length 627ft

Edinburgh - Portobello Pier

Opened 1971 - Demolished 1917 - Length 1250ft

Yorkshire

Coatham

Opened 1875 - Demolished 1899 after being damaged by boat - Length 1800ft

Redcar

Opened 1873 - Closed 1980 & Demolished 1981 - Length 1300ft

Saltburn

Opened 1869 - Length 681ft (originally 1500ft) - Grade II* listed

Scarborough - North Pier

Opened 1869 - Demolished 1905

Hornsea

Opened 1880 - Demolished 1897 - Length 1072ft

Withernsea

Opened 1877 - Lost 1903

Lincolnshire

Cleethorpes

Opened 1873 - Length 335ft (originally 1200ft)

Skegness

TF571634 Opened 1881 - Length 387ft (originally 1817ft)

Norfolk

Hunstanton

Opened 1870 - Closed & Demolished 1978 - Length 830ft

Cromer

TG219424 Opened 1901 - Length 500ft - Grade II listed

Great Yarmouth - Britannia

TG532077 Opened 1902 - Length 810ft

The pier replaced and early 700ft long pier from 1858 which was damaged by a storm in 1899 and demolished.

Great Yarmouth - Wellington

TG532067 Opened 1853 - Length 700ft

Suffolk

Lowestoft - South Pier

TM5492 Opened 1846 - Length 1320ft

Lowestoft - Claremont Pier

TM545918 Opened 1903 - Length 720ft (originally 600ft)

Southwold

TM512766 Opened 1900 - Length 623ft (originally 810ft)

Aldeburgh

Opened 1878 - Damage by vessel & demolished 1880s - Length 250ft

Felixstowe

TM301340 Opened 1905 - Length 450ft (originally 2640ft)

Essex

Harwich - Halfpenny Pier

- approx 360ft (L-shape)
TM259329 Opened 1853

The pier was originally twice as long but was reduced by half after a fire. It is used as a boat terminal.

Walton-on-the-Naze

TM256214 Opened 1898 - Length 2600ft

The original pier was built in 1871 at a length of 530ft but the water often did not reach it for boats to land, so it was rebuilt in 1898.

Clacton-on-Sea

TM177143 Opened 1871 - Length 1180ft (originally 480ft)

Southend-on-Sea

TQ886839 Opened 1890 - Length 7080ft

At over 2kilometres (1.3miles) long this is the longest pier in the UK. It has two sets of railway lines. The pier replaces an earlier wooden pier built between 1830 and 1846. Shared description

Further Reading

Geograph: Pleasure piers category
Geograph: Piers category
National Piers Society
Wikipedia: Pier

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