West Pier facts for kids
Remains of the West Pier in 2018
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| Official name | West Pier |
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| Type | Pleasure Pier |
| Locale | Brighton |
| Design | Eugenius Birch |
| Owner | West Pier Trust |
| Total length | 1,115 feet (340 m) |
| Opening date | 6 October 1866 |
| Destruction date | 1975–present |
| Coordinates | 50°49′15″N 0°09′04″W / 50.82083°N 0.15111°W |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name | The West Pier |
| Designated | 9 October 1969 |
| Reference no. | 1381655 |
The West Pier is a famous old pier in Brighton, England. It was designed by Eugenius Birch and first opened in 1866. This pier was the first in England and Wales to get a special 'Grade I' protection status. However, it has slowly fallen apart since it closed to the public in 1975. By 2020, only a partial metal frame was left standing.
The pier was built when many pleasure piers were popular in the 1860s. Its main goal was to bring more visitors to Brighton. It was the second pier in the town, joining the Royal Suspension Chain Pier which opened in 1823. The West Pier was made longer in 1893. A concert hall was added in 1916. The pier had its most visitors around this time, with 2 million people coming between 1918 and 1919.
After World War II, fewer people visited the pier. Concerts were replaced by a funfair and a tearoom. A local company bought the pier in 1965. But they could not afford the high repair costs. So, the company went out of business.
The pier closed to the public in 1975 and started to decay. It slowly collapsed in the early 2000s. Big parts fell down during storms in late 2002. Then, two separate fires in March and May 2003 destroyed most of what was left. These fires were thought to be set on purpose. Because of this, English Heritage said the pier could not be repaired. Some parts were taken down in 2010 to make space for the i360 observation tower. More storm damage has happened since then.
The West Pier Trust owns the remains of the pier. They have suggested different plans to fix it. Some of these plans have been opposed by local people. The owners of the nearby Palace Pier also disagreed. They worried about unfair competition.
Contents
History of the West Pier
Building the Pier: 1800s
The West Pier was built during a time when many pleasure piers were being constructed. In the 1860s, 22 new piers went up across Britain. Architect Eugenius Birch designed the West Pier. He wanted it to be a place where people could enjoy the fresh sea air. Some rich people living nearby did not like the idea. They complained that the toll houses at the entrance would block their sea view. But people felt the pier would help property values in the town. So, the pier was approved. Building started in 1863. The pier opened to the public on 6 October 1866.
The pier was about 1,115 feet (340 meters) long. It was 310 feet (94 meters) wide at the pierhead. It was built with cast iron columns. These columns were screwed into the seabed. The ironwork on top was made by Robert Laidlaw. It had an "oriental" style. When it opened, the pier had gas lamps with fancy serpent designs. These were like lamps in the nearby Royal Pavilion. The pier also had decorative houses. There were two toll houses and glass screens at the pierhead. These screens protected visitors from the weather. A report in New Scientist called the pier Birch's "masterpiece."
In 1893, the pierhead was made longer. Birch's nephew, Peregrine, oversaw this work. He added a pavilion that could hold 1,400 people. The Royal Suspension Chain Pier was destroyed by a storm in 1896. After that, the West Pier was the only one on Brighton's seafront. This lasted until the Palace Pier was built.
The 1900s: Popularity and Decline
In April 1900, seven sailors from HMS Desperate drowned. This happened in bad weather as they came near the pier.
By the early 1900s, people wanted entertainment more than just sea air. The pier had record numbers of visitors then. About 1.5 million people came between 1910 and 1911. Visitor numbers dropped during World War I. But they went up again afterwards. About 2 million people visited between 1918 and 1919.
The West Pier competed with the Palace Pier. This led to a new concert hall being built. Local architects Clayton & Black designed it. The old bandstand from the 1800s was taken down between 1914 and 1916. An eight-sided grand concert hall replaced it. It was made of cast-iron arches. It opened on 20 April 1916. The King's Royal Rifles silver band, made of war veterans, played at the opening.
By November, the concert hall had its own orchestra. Ticket sales for concerts made up 43% of the pier's money by 1920. Local people liked the West Pier more. Day trippers used the Palace Pier more often. A top-deck entrance was added to the hall in 1932. During World War II, the pier's central decking was removed. This was to stop enemy landings. After the war, its popularity started to go down. On 26 November 1944, a Royal Air Force Hawker Typhoon fighter plane hit the pier. It crashed onto the beach. The pilot got head injuries.
The concert hall became a tea room in the early 1950s. The theatre was changed into a restaurant. A funfair was added around the same time. By the 1960s, the pier was having big money problems. In 1965, a company that owned seafront hotels bought it. They had big plans for the pier. But they could not pay for the rising repair costs. Some wood and iron parts fell onto the beach. The pierhead closed in 1970 because it was unsafe. The pier was given Grade II listed status in 1969. The council told the company to make repairs. But the company could not afford them and closed down. The rest of the pier closed in 1975. The Brighton Corporation did not want to buy it. Control went to the Crown Estate Commissioners.
Attempts to Save the Pier
After 1975, many tries were made to fix the pier. Supporters felt the council cared more about building Brighton Marina. In 1982, the pier became the only one in Britain to get Grade I listed status. The West Pier Trust was formed to save the pier. They bought it from the council in 1983 for a very small fee of £100. But the council also asked for £800,000 for urgent repairs. These repairs were needed before it could open again. A plan to fix the pier with a 60-meter (200 ft) ferris wheel failed. The person backing the plan went bankrupt.
Damage and Final Collapse
The pier was damaged by the Great Storm of 1987. Access from the shore was removed in 1991 for safety. The West Pier Trust still offered tours of the pier in the 1990s. In 1998, the National Lottery promised £14 million to fix the pier. But the West Pier Trust could not find a good partner to help with the work. The owners of the Palace Pier complained about unfair competition. In 2001, English Heritage said the pier was the most at-risk Grade I listed building in the UK.
In December 2002, a storm caused part of the pier to collapse. A walkway connecting the concert hall and pavilion fell into the sea. The next month, the concert hall in the middle of the pier fell over. This left the whole structure close to falling apart completely.
On 28 March 2003, the pavilion at the pierhead caught fire. Firefighters could not save the building. The collapsed walkway stopped them from reaching it. Investigators could not safely get to the site. So, the cause of the fire is unknown. But it is thought to have been set on purpose. A worse fire burned on 11 and 12 May 2003. It destroyed most of what was left of the concert hall. On 23 June 2004, strong winds made the middle of the pier collapse fully. The next month, English Heritage said the pier was beyond repair.
The West Pier Trust still said they would start full repair work soon. Retired boxer and local resident Chris Eubank criticized the delays. He said he could raise the money himself in six months. In December 2004, the Trust confirmed the repairs would not happen. Their plans were turned down by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Parts of the pier were taken down in February 2010. This was partly to make way for the planned i360 observation tower. In February 2014, stormy weather caused the pier to split in half. A large part of the center fell into the sea. Waves washed away the eastern side of the damaged metal frame. This frame was left after the 2003 fire. Some items saved from the pier are shown in the Brighton Fishing Museum. Another part of the pier collapsed in 2016.
The building of the i360 has brought new interest in building a new West Pier. The West Pier Trust hoped it could be ready by 2026. This would be for the pier's 160th anniversary. But by October 2016, the trust decided that fixing the original West Pier was not possible.
As of 2019, the Trust wants to fix a Victorian-era octagonal kiosk. This kiosk was saved from the pier in 1996. They plan to raise about £750,000 for it. They will use a crowdfunding campaign and other ways. They have also started selling pieces of the pier at auctions. This money will help fund a new seaside learning center. This center will be where the original kiosk was. Another Brighton group, City Partnerships, has suggested building a new pier. It would be in the original spot. It would be free to enter, like the original. It would also go well with the nearby Brighton Palace Pier. But the West Pier Trust has said this idea is not realistic.
Art Inspired by the Pier
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In 2010, the West Pier was lit up with 3D mapping lasers. This was part of artworks by Josef O'Connor. It celebrated the Chinese New Year of the Tiger. Computer-controlled laser drawings lit up the pier. They made it seem to appear and disappear on the horizon. This made it look like it was connected to the shore again.
The Pier in Movies and Books
The pier can be seen in several films. These include Oh! What a Lovely War (1968) and Villain (1971). It also appeared in Carry On Girls (1973). That movie was filmed on the pier and nearby in Brighton. It was also a big part of the French comedy La Course à l'échalote (1975). This movie starred Pierre Richard and Jane Birkin.
In Nick Cave's book The Death of Bunny Munro, Bunny's son wonders why the 2003 fires happened. The band James filmed their music video for "Just Like Fred Astaire" on and around the West Pier.
See also
In Spanish: West Pier para niños
