TQ8009 : Bottle Alley and Hastings Pier
taken 9 years ago, near to St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, England
The double decker promenade that runs between Warrior Square and Hastings Pier was built in the 1930s by Sidney Little; it is unique in the country. The walls of the lower deck are lined with broken bottle glass (hence the name). Much of the promenade uses recycled materials.
Opened 1872 - Closed 2007 - Length 910ft
The pier was closed in 2006 and 2007 due to structural decay, and was due to be restored after the council had completed a compulsory purchase order.
On 5th October 2010, the pier was set alight by arsonists destroying most of the buildings. This was just hours after a competition was opened to redesign the pier. Despite taking four days to put out, the pier itself was said to be structurally sound, and the competition was still run, with a firm chosen.
In November 2012 a £11.4million lottery grant was awarded towards the pier rebuild. The total cost is only estimated at £13.9 million as the accommodation will be signicantly smaller than its original form.
It reopened on March 2016 and went on to win the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2017.
Also see Pleasure Piers of Great Britain Link