Britain's Greatest Piers

South Pier, Blackpool

Love it or loath it Blackpool is probably the most well known sea side resort in the UK. Famous for many things, be that it’s miles of coastline, it’s fairground, trams, ballroom, tower or Illuminations, Blackpool seems to offer it all. The South Pier provides not only another perspective on the town, but also lots things to do. Opened in 1893 it housed a huge 3000 seat pavilion. After being destroyed by fires in the 1960’s the pavilion was replaced by a theatre. It now houses a funfair and arcades.

Brighton Pier

The Brighton Palace Pier, Brighton Pier... or is it the Palace Pier? Whatever you decide to call it, this pier is a Grade II listed pleasure pier (listed by the government as a particularly important structure of more than special interest). Built in 1823 as a dock for ferries to France, the pier has seen a lot of changes since then. In 1907, after already undergoing many rebuilds, the Concert Hall opened. Since then the pier has offered amusements and fairground rides to holiday makers from all over the world.

Grand Pier, Weston-Super-Mare

Completed in 1904, Weston’s pier firstly housed a grand theatre. Uu=nfortunately this burned down in 1930 and was replaced by an indoor fairground, which is perfect for those rainy summer days we experience so often! Over the years many new rides have been added to this fairground such as their including a Grand Pier go-cart track. However, once again history repeated itself and in 2008 this too burned down. Rebuilt again the pier opened in 2010, housing a new rotating observation deck, a fairground, indoor play centre and even a laser maze.

Clarence Pier, Portsmouth

Now this may not look like your average pier, running along the coast rather than out to sea, but this different look seems to work as the Clarence Pier in Portsmouth draws in thousands of visitors each year. It houses on of the largest amusement parks in the south coast, boasting not only traditional rides but also more modern attractions like the sky trail… it’s even got a Wimpy, remember them! Originally built in 1861, the pier was partially destroyed during WWII, but was reopened again in 1961 and has been entertaining the public ever since.