Nearest Piers UK and Ireland
When we think of a traditional seaside town most of us automatically think of the Victorian pier. Our Piers category brings all Coast Radar’s listings related to the traditional seaside pier together, where most now offer family entertainment and places to eat.
Finding the best things to see and do on a day out with your family or friends is easy – simply explore the piers links below, hit the jump to my location button or use the search bar to plan your next UK and Ireland activity.
- Bournemouth Pier is at the heart of the Bournemouth sea front with various attractions, amusements, boat trips, restaurant, cafe, bar and fishing decks. Originally built in 1856 as wood, rebuilt with iron and then as concrete this has been around for generations. Small charge applies for access to help with the upkeep. Dogs are allowed on to the pier but not allowed in some of the attractions.
- Hastings Pier, opened in 1872 but then closed and a large fire in 2010 destroyed the original buildings. In 2016 it was opened after major re-work and now stretches out 272 metres into the sea and stands at the centre of Hastings Seafront.
- The Yarmouth Pier is the only pier left in The British Isles that is totally constructed from wood. It is “T” shaped and 609ft long.
- Ramsey Queens pier was built in 1886 and is 2241 feet long. The pier is being restored in sections by the Queen’s Pier Restoration Trust that has a long fight to keep this Victorian pier from being demolished and to enable to be accessed by future generations, please check their website for current progress and to support them.
- Skegness Pier has had a chequered history from its humble start as a promenade for the inhabitants of a small but popular Victorian holiday town it has now grown into the focal attraction of holiday visitors. It now enjoys hundreds of thousands of visitors every year as they walk along the pier and take in the spectacular views of Skegness beach and enjoy the many traditional seaside attractions like the carousel, trampolines, cafes, restaurants, ten pin bowling, laser quest, ice creams, Adventure World, video games, and glow bowling! The pier is right at the centre of the Skegness seafront and has ample parking nearby. For those interested in a little history, Skegness Pier construction was started in 1879 and 2 years later opened in June 1881. The pier was originally a T-shape with a concert hall at the pier head along with departing and arriving steamboat trips. A storm in January 1978 caused major damage and due to the cost, part of the pier was demolished. The pier is now 118 m (387 ft) long with no evidence of the original pier head.
- Hythe Pier stretches 700 yards (640 m) from the centre of Hythe to the deep water channel of Southampton Water. It is approximately 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, and carries a pedestrian walkway and cycleway on its northern side, and the track of the Hythe Pier Railway on its southern side. Designed by J Wright, construction of Hythe Pier commenced in 1878 and completed in 1881. Hythe Pier, the Hythe Pier Railway and the Hythe Ferry together provide a transport link between Southampton and Hythe on the opposite side of Southampton Water. This link is heavily used by commuters and shoppers from Hythe, as well as forming an important link in the Solent Way and E9 European coastal paths. Each train on the Pier Railway connects at the pier head with an arrival and departure of the Hythe Ferry. The ferry service carries both passengers and bicycles, and takes about 10 minutes for the crossing.
- Bognor Regis Pier sits in the town centre and splits the beach. The pier has a small amusement arcade and is popular for pier fishing.
- Britannia pier is one of the two piers at Great Yarmouth. Positioned towards the northern end of the resort in the 1850s. The original wooden structure, designed by A W Morant, was a simple structure 700ft (212m) in length and approached through ornate wrought iron gates hung between two rather bland oblong buildings. The Britannia Pier was damaged by the ‘James & Jessie’ Schooner and a storm in 1868. these events resulted in a shorter pier. At the end of 1900 the original wooden pier was demolished. A new 810ft (245m) wood and steel pier was opened for public use in 1901. Over the years the pier has had many fires. The grand pavilion was to become the first victim, destroyed in a blaze only seven years after opening. A second pavilion was built, opening a year later in 1910, but this was again destroyed in a blaze in 1914. Within three months a third pavilion was built. The current day Pier offers all of the amusements that you would expect in a popular seaside town, including amusement arcades, restaurant, bars, funfair and theatre.
- The Pier at Clacton-on-Sea was opened on 27 July 1871. The pier was originaly a wooden structure 160 yards (150 m) in length and 4 yards (3.7 m) wide. Initially built as a landing stage for goods and passengers, and from when it opened steamships operated by the Woolwich Steam Packet Company docked at the pier. By the 1890s Clacton was becoming a popular holiday destination due to its easy reach from London for day trippers and in 1893 the pier was lengthened to 1180 ft (360m), and entertainment facilities including a pavilion and a waiting room were added. Today the pier has a variety of indoor and outdoor activities that helps make Clacton one of Essex’s popular family seaside resorts.
- The sea recedes over a mile from the beach at low tide leaving mud flats. Large boats were unable to stop at Southend near to the beach and no boats at all were able to stop at low tide. This meant that many potential visitors would travel past Southend and go to Margate, or other resorts where docking facilities were better. The solution was Southend Pier that extends 1.34 miles (2.16 km) into the Thames Estuary, it is the longest pleasure pier in the world. The pier railway runs the length of Southend Pier, providing public passenger transport from the shore to the pier head. It operates every day the pier is open, providing a quarter or half hourly service.
- Clevedon Pier is a seaside pier on the English side of the Severn Estuary. The landing stage at the end of the pier is occasionally used by ships and is a popular spot for angling. There is a cafe at the pierhead, and a souvenir shop at the toll house. Clevedon Pier was opened on 29 March 1869, partially constructed from Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s second-hand railway lines, 225 metres (738 ft) long and 14.5 metres (48 ft) tall. The tidal range at this part of the estuary can reach 14 metres (46 ft) and the landing stage at the end of the pier has several levels to allow boats to dock at all stages of the tide. The paddle steamer Waverley first visited the pier to take on passengers in 1886. In 1893 the pier head was replaced in cast iron with a new timber landing stage, and the pier head pavilion was completed in 1894. The Toll House on the pier and the adjacent Royal Pier Hotel were both designed by local architect Hans Price. In 1899, 20 feet (6 m) of the decking was washed away by a storm. In 1910, part of the landing stage was damaged in another storm and replaced by a concrete landing stage in 1913. On 17 October 1970, spans 7 and 8 of the pier collapsed during stress testing, which had been introduced in the 1950s to obtain insurance cover, where long polythene tanks resting on the pier were filled with water, to create a pressure of 50 p.s.i. (2.4 kPa). In 1998 the Pier restoration was finished and it was re-opened to the public.
- The Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare in north Somerset has an indoor pleasure park on the pier. Having been twice destroyed by fire, most recently in 2008, the pier underwent a major refurbishment programme and reopened to the public in 2010. Visitors today can enjoy free admission and there’s something for everyone to take part in whether it’s the arcade, one of the rides, go-karts, dodgems and much much more. Choose from a wealth of different food and drink outlets on-site. The pier is open all year round.
