Seaside Piers in the UK
Piers in Britain
Piers at the seaside are a quintessential part of the British beach holiday experience.
The primary function of a pier is to extend out into water that is deep enough for steamers and other larger pleasure boats to be able to dock in an environment that for most seaside resorts was one of shallow beaches.
They also became much more than that, as an extension of the promenade and also as a site for sundry entertainments.
The golden age of pier-building was in the Victorian era when "taking the waters" became a fashionable pastime as the new railways opened up the coast for millions of city dwellers.
See a listing of some the UK's most iconic piers. There are around 50 piers still in existence along Britain's coastline.
Blackpool Piers
Blackpool has three piers confirming its place as Britain's most popular seaside resort. They are Central Pier, probably the most famous, North Pier and South Pier. All were constructed in the Victorian age. The oldest and longest, North Pier dates from 1863 and was built close to the railway station. Central Pier (1868) is known for its Big Wheel and arcades. South Pier (1893) has a range of fun amusements and great views over the town. Each pier has a Blackpool Tramway stop nearby: North Pier, Central Pier and South Pier.
Bournemouth Pier
Bournemouth Pier in Bournemouth on the south coast of England is also a Victorian pier. It is close to the town centre and has lots to do - indoor climbing, plenty of bars and cafes and even a zip wire. The pier has been rebuilt a number of times and was even demolished completely during World War II. The present structure dates mostly from a 1970s restoration. The restored pier at Boscombe is another fun, family-friendly attraction.
Brighton Pier
Brighton Palace Pier is a down-to-earth pleasure pier with a number of amusements. It is one of the most visited attractions in the country with over 4 million visitors annually. The pier is great fun for kids with its traditional funfair classics such as bouncy castle, cup n' saucer, dodgems, helter skelter, trampolines, waltzers etc as well as newer rides such as Fantasia plus a Horror Hotel. Other nearby attractions in Brighton include the i360 and the Royal Pavilion.
Cromer Pier
Cromer Pier in Norfolk has been going strong since 1901. Its Pavilion Theatre has played host to many household names of British comedy and variety. The theatre is packed during its summer and Christmas seasons. It was voted Pier of the Year in 2015.
Eastbourne Pier
Eastbourne Pier is another classic Victorian seaside pier. It dates from the 1870s but like all of Britain's piers has been refurbished several times since. Sea and fire damage were the main reasons for repair. Attractions include an amusement arcade and nightclub as well as various restaurants including fast food, fish and chips and a Victorian tearoom and cafe. The pier has appeared as a location in films and TV series.
Garth Pier
Pier of the Year in 2022, Garth Pier in Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales opened in 1896. It is the second longest pier in Wales (460 meters) after Llandudno Pier. Pleasure steamers would depart from the pier for Blackpool, Liverpool and Douglas in the Isle of Man. Threatened with demolition in the 1970s, the pier was restored in the 1980s and again in the 21st century (2017-2019). Visitors can access the pier for 50p. The kiosks on the pier house several cafes (Pier Pavilion Tea Room, Trac5, Whistlestop on the Pier and Put the Kettle On) as well as various shops.
Great Yarmouth (Britannia) Pier
There has been a pier in Great Yarmouth since 1858. The original structure was demolished in 1899 and a new pier built in 1901. Plagued by fires over the years, the present Pavilion dates from 1958 and plays host to comedy, club nights and other events. There is a wide range of rides to enjoy - dodgems, carousels, and slides plus fruit machines in the amusement arcades, and 3 bars. Wellington Pier, to the south, is this Norfolk town's other pier.
Hastings Pier
Hastings Pier dates back to 1872 and enjoyed its heyday in the 1930s. Almost completely destroyed by fire in 2010, the pier has been rebuilt in Ekki wood and reopened in 2016. The design won the 2017 Stirling Prize for architecture. The pier features some colorful beach hut-style food and drink stalls. It is owned by local businessman 'Sheikh' Abid Gulzar who also owns Eastbourne Pier.
Llandudno Pier
Llandudno Pier in Llandudno is the longest pier in Wales. Llandudno had a small, wooden pier constructed in 1858 shortly after the railway arrived, but it was replaced in 1878 with the current one. At 2,295 feet (700 meters) in length, it is the longest pier in Wales and the fifth-longest in England and Wales. Here in days gone by steamers to the Isle of Man would leave.
The pier is constructed of wrought iron lattice girders resting on cast iron columns, and decked with wood which has been replaced several times. The pier was designed by Brunlees & McKerrow and is known for its elegant ornamentation and elaborate kiosks. Musical performances took place in a bandstand at the head of the pier, but were moved to the Pier Pavilion constructed at the entrance to the pier in 1886.
Entry to the pier is free, and from the end of the pier there are great views looking back on the Llandudno seafront and the Great Orme, the majestic headland that rises to the west. There are still the occasional sailings to the Isle of Man, and visits by historic steamships like the PS Waverley.
The pier is also a popular spot for anglers, but for most visitors it is simply the promenade that is the draw.
There are plenty of food vendors that serve up traditional summer holiday fare like ice cream, fish & chips, cockles & mussels, fresh doughnuts, etc. As well there are numerous shops selling a variety of products including some classic souvenirs.
Paignton Pier
Paignton Pier in Devon first opened in 1879. In its glory years around the turn of the century the pier was a lively venue for musical hall and comic opera. The pier declined in popularity after a fire in 1919 and it was not until the 1980s that the structure was repaired and given a new lease of life. Today there are various traditional amusements including bumper cars, restaurants and a mega slide.
Ryde Pier
Ryde Pier in Ryde on the Isle of Wight is the world's oldest seaside pleasure pier. It first opened way back in 1814. Ryde Pier Head Station is at the (sea) end of the pier and connects with Wightlink fast catamaran ferries to Portsmouth. At the land end of the pier is Ryde Esplanade Station. Both stations are on the Island Line to Shanklin on the east coast.
Another pier on the island is at Yarmouth. The pier's wooden piles are in constant need to replacement every 15-20 years.
Southend Pier
Southend Pier in Essex is a classic British pier. It is also the longest pleasure pier in the world at 2.14 km in length. The Southend Pier Railway that runs the length of the structure was also the first pier railway in Britain. The recent Southend Pier Royal Pavilion now hosts art exhibitions and other events. At the pier head the Southend Pier Museum is housed in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station.
Southport Pier
Southport Pier in Merseyside is the oldest iron pier in Britain and opened in 1860. It is also the second longest at 1,108 meters and was once even longer. Restored in 2002 the pier boasts a modern pavilion at the pier head with great views over the beach. The pier is a short walk from Southport Station.
Southwold Pier
Southwold Pier is a 190 meter-long pier with amusements on the Suffolk coast. Some of its coin-operated machines were designed and made by the inventor Tim Hunkin of The Secret Life of Machines fame. Southwold is about 22 km (13 miles) south of Lowestoft, a 25 minute drive on the A12.
St Anne's Pier
St Anne's Pier in the Lancashire resort was one of the first public buildings constructed in this planned 19th century resort. Present-day attractions include an amusement arcade, cafés and shops.
Swanage Pier
Swanage Pier in Dorset is a restored Victorian seaside pier. It dates from 1895 and was originally meant to allow passenger ships to dock. Small ferries from Poole Quay still dock here in the summer after the pier was totally restored in 1998. There is a cafe and a small aquarium featuring the fish found in the local waters.
Teignmouth Pier
Teignmouth Pier (Grand Pier) in Devon dates from the mid-nineteenth century. 1865 was the year work started on the 212 metre (700 feet) structure, which was completed in 1867. Designed by JW Wilson, the pier divides the Teignmouth beach nearly equally in two. In strait-laced Victorian times, this was convenient for separating men's and women's "bathing machines" - roofed and walled wooden carts rolled into the waves for people to swim from - in a decorous fashion. Modern day amusements on the pier are the usual traditional shops, kids' rides, and a go-karting track.
Weston-super-Mare Pier
Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare is now a huge pleasure pier and events venue. It puts on a variety of performances and also includes arcades, a climbing wall, Britain's smallest roller coaster, a Museum of Memories and a go-kart track. The pier was damaged by fire in July 2008 and subsequently rebuilt.
Weymouth Pier
Weymouth Pier is the name for the peninsula jutting out to sea between Weymouth Beach and a peninsula between Weymouth Harbour. The area includes a pleasure pier, Weymouth Pavilion, a music and comedy venue, and the Electric Palace games arcade and fun fair.
Whitby Piers
Whitby, north of Scarborough, in Yorkshire has a total of four piers. The main two are the historic East and West piers on opposite sides of the River Esk built to protect the fishing port. The West Pier was originally constructed way back in the 1630s. The East Pier was added in the early 18th century. It is on the same side of the river as Whitby Abbey and the Captain Cook Memorial Museum. Both stone piers were refurbished in 2020.
Worthing Pier
Worthing Pier in Worthing on the Sussex coast opened in 1862 and was upgraded in 1888. Altogether the pleasure pier stretches 290 meters. The Pavilion Theatre and Pavilion Atrium Bar are at the landward end of the pier with amusements in the central section and the South Pavilion at the sea end.
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