Southend pier from the land

Southend Pier is a major landmark in Southend-on-Sea. Extending 2,158m (a mile and a third) into the Thames Estuary, it is the longest pleasure pier in the world. Sir John Betjeman is noted as saying that "the Pier is Southend, Southend is the Pier". The pier is a Grade II listed building. [1] Download high resolution version (888x1190, 236 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (888x1190, 236 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Southend-on-Sea is a resort town in Essex, England. ... The Thames Estuary is a large estuary where the River Thames flows into the North Sea. ... A pier in Lillebælt, Denmark A pier was originally a raised walkway over water that is supported by piles or pillars, as opposed to a quay or wharf. ... Sir John Betjeman (28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was a British poet and writer on architecture. ... Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ...

History

Why a pier was needed

In the early 19th century, Southend was growing as a resort. At the time, it was thought that spending time at the seaside was good for one's health, and since it was close to the capital, many Londoners would come to Southend for this reason. However the coast at Southend consists of large mudflats, so the sea is never very deep even at full tide, and recedes for well over a mile at low tide. Because of this large boats were unable to stop at Southend 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. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation. ... Jump to: navigation, search The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Mudflats are relatively flat, muddy regions found in intertidal areas. ... Location within the British Isles Margate was known as Meregate (in 1254) or Margate (in 1293) is on the Isle of Thanet in Kent, England. ...

In order to counter this trend local dignitaries pushed for a pier to be built. This would allow boats to reach Southend at all tides. The campaign was led by former Lord Mayor of London Sir William Heygate, a resident of Southend. In 1829, Parliament passed an act giving authorisation for the construction of a pier at southend. When Sir William brought the news back from London he was mobbed by enthusiastic crowds. Michael Berry Savory is the current Lord Mayor of London. ... 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

The Wooden Pier

Soon after authorisation was granted in 1829, the Lord Mayor of London laid the first foundations for the pier. By June 1830 a 600ft (182m) wooden pier was opened, based on oak piles. However this was still too short to be usable at low tide, so by 1833 it had been exteneded to three times its length and by 1848 was the longest pier in Europe at 7,000ft (2,133.6m). It was sold by the original owners for £17,000 in 1846 after getting into financial difficulties. Jump to: navigation, search June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with a length of 30 days The month is named after the Roman goddess Juno (mythology), wife of Jupiter and equivalent to the Greek goddess Hera. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Lithocarpus. ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

By the 1850s the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway had reached Southend, and with it a great influx of visitors from East London. The many visitors took their toll on the wooden pier and in 1873 it was sold to the local board (the local government in place at the time). Jump to: navigation, search // Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward... Fenchurch Street Station The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) was a British railway company, and line built by that company, linking London eastwards along the north bank of River Thames to Tilbury and Southend. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1877 the board decided to replace the pier with a new iron pier. Jump to: navigation, search 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Part of the wooden structure of the old pier was used in the construction of a new mayoral chair in 1892. Jump to: navigation, search 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

The Iron Pier

The pier was designed by James Brunlees, who had built the first iron pier at Southport in 1860. Work began in 1887 and the new pier opened to the public in the summer of the same year, though it was only completed in 1889. The cost was almost £70,000. It was an immediate success, so much so that demand outstripped the capabilities of the pier and a further extension was proposed. This extension was completed in November 1897 and formally opened the following January. 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

An upper deck was added to the pierhead in 1907, and the pier was further extended in 1927 to accommodate larger steamboats. It was formally opened on the 8th July 1929 by HRH Prince George, Duke of Kent. This part of the pier was named the Prince George Extension. 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Prince George of the United Kingdom, Duke of Kent (George Edward Alexander Edmund) (20 December 1902 - 25 August 1942) was the fourth son of King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary. ...

The Pier's centenary was celebrated on 23rd July 1935, rather than 1930, as this date reflects the date the Admiralty began to include Southend Pier on their navigation charts. Jump to: navigation, search July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ...

HMS Leigh

During World War II, Southend Pier was taken over by the Royal Navy and was renamed (along with the surrounding area) HMS Leigh. It was closed to the public from 9th September 1939. Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that... Jump to: navigation, search September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Its purpose in the war was twofold. Firstly it served as a mustering point for convoys. Over the course of the war 3,367 convoys, comprising 84,297 vessels departed from HMS Leigh. Secondly, it was Naval Control for the Thames Estuary. Notable in its career was the accidental sinking of the Liberty ship SS Richard Montgomery which, still containing several thousand tons of explosives, is visible from the North Kent coast at low tide, and continues to pose a potential threat to navigation over 60 years later. The Thames Estuary is a large estuary where the River Thames flows into the North Sea. ... The Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. They were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. ... The SS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship built during World War II, one of the 2,710 used to carry cargo during the war. ...

Post-war history

In 1945 the pier reopened for visitors. Visitor numbers exceeded their pre-war levels, peaking at seven million in 1949. In the fifties, more attractions on the pier opened including the Dolphin Cafe, Sun Deck Theatre, the Solarium Cafe and a Hall of Mirrors. Jump to: navigation, search 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

However the success was not to last. In 1959 a fire destroyed the Pavilion located at the shore end of the pier. Over 500 people were trapped on the other side of the fire and had to be rescued by boat. Jump to: navigation, search 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The pavillion was replaced by a bowling alley the following year, however by the 60s, British holidaymakers were turning to package holidays abroad. The use of the pier slowly began began to decline and with it the structure began to deteriate. In 1971, after a child was injured on the pier, a survey was undertaken and over the course of the next decade repairs had to be made including much of the replacement of the pier walkway. A package holiday or package tour consists of transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ...

In 1976 a fire destroyed much of the pier head. The massive blaze was battled by fire fighters working on the pier and from boats, and even using a crop-spraying light aircraft. The following year the bowling alley was damaged in another fire, and a year after that, the railway was deemed unsafe and had to be closed. Jump to: navigation, search 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... General aviation (abbr. ...

In 1980 the council announced that the pier was to close. Protests led the council to allow the pier to remain open until a solution could be found. This happened in 1983 when the Historic Buildings Committee gave a grant to allow repairs to be made. The work commenced in 1984 and was completed eighteen months later, when Princess Anne named the two new pier trains (commisioned to replace trains scrapped in 1982 after Sir John Betjeman and Sir William Heygate. The total cost of the repair including new buildings and pier trains was £1.3 million. Jump to: navigation, search 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Princess Anne may refer to more than one person: Anne, Princess Royal (born 15 August 1950), daughter of Elizabeth II of the UK Anne, Princess of Orange (1709‑1759), daughter of George II of Great Britain Anne (1637‑1759), daughter of Charles I of England Princess Anne may refer to... Jump to: navigation, search 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

However on June 20 in that year, the MV Kingsabbey crashed into the pier, severing the new pier head from the rest of the pier, destroying the boathouse used by the lifeboat service and causing major structural damage due to the destruction of iron piles and supporting girders. This left a 70-foot gap in the pier. While this was temporarily bridged to restore access, full repairs were not completed until 1989. June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On June 7, 1995, the bowling alley burnt down. Fortunately, the pier museum and railway station were not severely damaged and access to the pier was reinstated three weeks later, with all the debris cleared in time for the summer of 1996. Jump to: navigation, search June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

The 21st century

The new shoreward end of Southend Pier

In recent years Southend Council has invested in the pier to restore it as a visitor attraction. Funding for this has been co-ordinated by the "S-SHAPE" (Southend Seafront, High-street And Pier Enhancments) project with funding coming from European Objective 2 funding and National Government regeneration schemes. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 256 KB) Summary A photo of the new shore end of Southend Pier taken by MrWeeble 2005-09-18 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 256 KB) Summary A photo of the new shore end of Southend Pier taken by MrWeeble 2005-09-18 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

The pier head was extensively redeveloped in 2000 creating a new sun deck and, in partnership with the RNLI, a new lifeboat station was built. The new station is contructed in glass to give a strikingly modern style. It also house a museum and giftshop relating to the history of the RNLI and lifeboats. Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the year 2000. ... RNLI Lifeboat at Calshot Spit The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity dedicated to saving lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. ...

In 2003 the shoreward end of the pier was redeveloped in a similar style to the pier head. The pier bridge was raised to enable taller vehicles to pass under it (a recurring problem had been double decker buses getting stuck under the bridge) and a visitor centre/tourist information centre was built. This connected with the new Cliff Lift and redevelopemnt of Pier Hill that was contructed the following year. Jump to: navigation, search 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

2005 Fire

On October 9, 2005 a fire severely damaged a section at the Pier Head housing the train station, a pub, a shell shop, a snack bar and an ice cream shop. Much of the wooden plank surface was destroyed, but the main iron structure was undamaged. The heat from the fire was so intense it buckled the rails of the Pier Railway so the trains can only run down a third of the way that used to be covered. Jump to: navigation, search October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Fire was thought to have started in the pub at around 10:45pm, but due to the fairly extreme location and access problems the cause has not been formally announced but the fire is now being treated as an accident. No one was injured in the fire but fire-fighters had problems extinguishing the blaze due to the tide being very low so the pumps installed on the pier would not function and there was a problem with the hydrants installed on the pier.

Work is currently underway to build a bridge from the shore side of the pier to the undamaged pier head. Initially this will be used to survey the damage and start the slow process of getting the section of pier rebuilt as well as allowing the RNLI access to the Lifeboat station on the pier head. In the future it has been hinted that the bridge will be used to allow tourists access to the Pier Head and to view the damage themselves. RNLI Lifeboat at Calshot Spit The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity dedicated to saving lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. ...

Pieces of charred pier planking have turned up for sale on eBay with the proceeds apparently going to the RNLI. Sky News has some good pictures of the damaged section, as does the BBC. Jump to: navigation, search The title of this article is shown beginning with a capital letter due to technical restrictions. ...

The Pier looks set not to reopen for some time, but when it does, it may be better than was before!

The pier railway

Facing shorewards with the railway to the right

The original wooden pier had employed a horse tramway to convey goods and visitors to the pier head. In 1890, with the construction of the iron pier, Cromptons installed an electric tramway with a single toast rack carriage and 0.75 miles of single track. By 1891 the line ran the full 1.25 miles and carriages were in use. The system expanded, until eventually, by 1930, four trains, each made up of seven carriages, were running on a double track. Download high resolution version (1296x972, 317 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1296x972, 317 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

In 1949 the rolling stock was replaced with four new trains similar in design to the London Underground stock, built by AC Cars, of Thames Ditton, in Surrey. The stock was liveried in green and cream.

In 1978 the electric railway closed, due to deterioration and the cost of repairs and didn't reopen until 1986, when two new trains began plying the pier, on a simplified single track with a passing loop. Each train consists of a diesel-hydraulic locomotive at the southern end, five trailer coaches and at the northern end, a driver control unit with passenger space. The livery is now all-over burgundy with a white waist-band.

Trivia

Southend Pier featured in the end credits of the British television series Minder. The sequence showed unscrupulous businessman Arthur Daley and his bodyguard (or "minder") walking down the pier. When they reach the end Arthur realises he has left his lighter at the far end and they proceed to walk the return journey. The comic implication is that he is too mean to pay for the train ride! Minder was a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. ... Arthur Daley was a character in the UK TV series Minder and the name has become synomynous in Britain with a wheeler dealer. ...

External links

• southendpier.co.uk - Southend Pier and Foreshore
• southendpiermuseum.com - Pier Museum