There are so many things which are quintessentially British that if you started writing them all down now then you probably wouldn’t be finished until this time next year. Morris dancing, pork pies, fish and chips, the list goes on, but one of the greatest British things is the pier. Whether you love the old Victorian structures that are crumbling into the sea, or the shiny amusement parts that illuminate the waters, England has a pier for everyone. We’ve collected some of our favourites and written about them right here, so that you can choose which of England’s greatest piers you’d like to visit next.
Southport Pier
Southport Pier is the second longest pier in the UK, at just over one thousand meters. Interestingly, it actually used to be considerably longer, at 1340 metres, but after a succession of terrible storms and even a couple of fires, its length became quite a bit shorter. Wherever it is in the bid to be Britain’s longest pier, it’s always on the list of must-sees for this town thanks to the wealth of attractions that you can find along its length. Nearly scrapped in 1990, the fate of the pier was decided by a single vote – and so it remained. It took a while to gather enough funding to regenerate Southport Pier, with a bill of more than £7 million, but by 2002 it was reopened and back to its former glory. They had even lovingly restored the old tramway which used to take baggage up and down the pier’s length. It is now possible instead to ride on a big blue bus to the very end of the pier; a fitting way to take in this piece of national heritage.
Southend Pier
Whilst Southport is the second longest pier, Southend Pier takes the title of the longest at a staggering 2160 metres. This is another location that any history buff will be very familiar with as, just like Southport, Southend has a long and rich history. However, let’s talk now about what you can do there today. The railway line is incredibly famous and one of the only working railway lines in operation on any pier throughout the world. Hop on the train and you’ll be transported right to the end of the pier, where you can visit the RNLI gift shop, or take part in a wildlife spotting tour. There are also Jetstream Tours, allowing you to see the river Thames by boat, as well as plenty of places set up for fishermen to see what they can catch straight off the pier. That’s not even mentioning the dozens of food and drink stalls set up along the length of the structure, serving everything from fish and chips to candyfloss, and icecream to pick and mix.
Brighton Pier
In terms of the most attractions on a pier, Brighton Pier certainly clinches that spot on our list. However, that’s not all that Brighton Pier has going for it as this little town actually has two piers to its name. The original pier is now known as the West Pier and can be found opposite the BA i360 tower, another great tourist attraction. The West Pier suffered a fire and, instead of carting the debris back to land, it was decided that the pier would be allowed to decompose naturally into the sea. What has resulted is a beautiful skeletal structure that’s ever-changing with the winds and storms. Towards the East of Brighton is the Palace Pier, which is where you’ll want to head if you’re after nail-biting rides and all the fun of the fair. At the end of this pier you’ll find a log flume, waltzers, a historic carousel and a famous ghost train. Towards the center is where all of the arcade games are and at the beginning of the pier is the section which the food stalls call their own. Whilst Brighton Pier probably couldn’t fill a whole day out on its own, when you combine it with a walk along to the ghostly structure of the West Pier and maybe a trip up the i360 then you’ve got a day out to remember forever.
