Southend had this country's longest pier ... but for what purpose was it built

�

�

Q.� A late Victorian invention, then

A.� Not exactly. The original wooden pier was built in 1830 and sold to Southend Local Board for �10,000 in 1875. The wooden structure was replaced two years later by an iron pier and opened to pedestrian traffic in July, 1889.

�

Q.� And what were its attractions

A.� An electric tramway began operating in August, 1890, and quickly became popular.

�

Q.� Tram It is long then.

A.� Oh yes. When the pier opened, the electric railway comprised only one car operating on 0.75 miles of single track. Another half-mile was added the next year, and the train gained two cars, rising to eight by 1914. The pier was also extended - by 1898 - to accommodate the increasing number of steamboats calling at Southend. This included an upper deck that had 600 permanent seats and room for 500 deckchairs. The lower deck now had room for 6,000 to 8,000. A bandstand in white and gold was created and six shops built.

�

Q.� Ever-expanding

A.� So it seemed. By 1925, the annual number of visitors had reached more than 1.25 million. Extensions to the upper deck were completed in 1927. The final addition to the pier - which made it 1.34 miles long, the longest in the world - was opened by Prince George, Duke of Kent, on Monday 8 July, 1929. Its centenary was celebrated in 1935 rather than 1930, 100 years after the Admiralty began to include the structure on its charts. Four years later came the war.

�

Q.� It was closed for the duration

A.� The Royal Navy took it over and shut it to the public. The pier and surrounding area were renamed HMS Leigh took over the control of all shipping using the River Thames through the war.

�

Q.� Afterwards

A.� It reopened in 1945 and 1949 marked its heyday, with visitors topping 5 million. A restaurant, the Dolphin, was built from the scrap and timber left behind by the Navy. In 1959, the Pier Pavilion was destroyed by fire; it was replaced by a tenpin bowling alley, but piers were going out of fashion and visitor numbers had dropped to under�a million by 1970.

�

Q.� But it kept going

A.� The pier head was devastated by fire in 1976 and on 30 September, 1980, the council decided to close it - but changed its mind when faced with a public outcry.

�

Q.� And the trains

A.� Absurdly, they were scrapped in 1982 - which meant visitors had a long walk to the end. However, they still visited. And in 1983, a grant from the Historic Buildings Committee allowed repairs to start, and new railway stock was bought. The total cost came to �1.3 million.

�

The new railway service was inaugurated by Princess Anne on 2 May, 1986. One of the locomotives was named Sir John Betjeman, after the Poet Laureate who loved the pier. The other was named Sir William Heygate in honour of the alderman and mayor who had been instrumental in building the first pier.

�

Q.� And plain sailing for the pier now

A.� No. The following June, the MV Kingsabbey sliced through the pier between the old and new pier heads and severed the lifeboat slipway. Six of the cast iron piles were shattered, causing two spans of main girders to collapse. This left a 70ft gap in the pier, and a lightweight bridge was installed to restore electricity, water and telephone services, followed by a temporary pedestrian footbridge. Permanent repairs followed and in 1989 a new cafe and toilets were opened.

�

Then in June, 1995, the bowling alley was destroyed by fire. All services to the pier head were cut and 100ft of railway track was damaged. Repairs were completed by the next summer season.

�

To ask another question about People & Places, click here

Steve Cunningham