Weymouth Pier facts for kids
Weymouth Pier is a long piece of land sticking out into the sea, located between Weymouth Harbour and Weymouth Beach in Dorset, England. It was built to make Weymouth's seafront, called the Esplanade, even longer and more exciting. Today, it's home to the Weymouth Pavilion theatre, a fun pleasure pier, car parking, and a terminal for ferries crossing the English Channel. The whole area was updated for the 2012 Summer Olympics, including the addition of the Weymouth Sea Life Tower.
The Pier's Beginnings
The exact start of Weymouth Pier isn't perfectly clear. However, people believe that some kind of structure was already there as early as 1812. Over the years, it grew and changed to become the pier we know today.
Building the Modern Pier
The pier you see now was built using strong concrete. It stretches out about 400 meters (that's like 1,300 feet!) into the water. It's wider near the shore, about 30 meters (100 feet), and gets a bit narrower at the end, around 12 meters (40 feet).
When it was first built, the pier had two main parts. One side was for business, helping ships load and unload goods. It had special electric cranes and railway tracks to move cargo. This part of the pier could handle several ships at once, including passenger ferries and cargo vessels.
The other side of the pier was for fun! It was a promenade where people could walk and enjoy the views. This area had shelters, a diving platform, and changing rooms for swimmers. At night, the whole promenade would light up, offering amazing views of Weymouth Bay and Nothe Fort.
Important Dates for Weymouth Pier
- 1840: A big change happened when a new pier, made of stone and shingle concrete, was built on the northern side of the harbour.
- 1860: Weymouth Pier was mostly rebuilt using timber and made longer, reaching about 273 meters (895 feet).
- 1877: A special stage for loading cargo was added.
- 1889: A landing area and a hall for handling luggage were built.
- 1908: The famous Weymouth Pavilion theatre first opened its doors.
- 1930s: The pier was rebuilt once again to make it even better.
- July 13, 1933: The brand new Weymouth Pier officially opened. The ceremony was led by the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII.
- 1954: The Ritz Theatre (which had been renamed after the war) was sadly destroyed in a fire.
- 1961: A brand new Pavilion theatre opened, replacing the one lost in the fire.
- 1971-1972: The pier was made wider to create a new ferry terminal and a large car park for the ferry port and Weymouth Pavilion.
- 1993: The Alexandra Gardens Theatre was damaged by fire.
- 2007–2011: Plans were made to update the whole pier area for the 2012 Summer Olympics. While a new observation tower, known as Jurassic Skyline, was built, other planned changes didn't happen.
