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Southend Pier
Southend - Page 1
This page is under construction!
This is one of a series of pages devoted to the Thames and Medway Estuaries. This page shows postcards and photographs of Southend Pier and the pier railway.
Southend Excursion Vessels
shows the pleasure boats of Southend.
The first (wooden) Southend Pier was opened in 1830, and lengthened in 1845 and 1846. In 1885 it was decided to replace if with a new iron pier. Work began in 1887 and the pier was opened in 1889. It was extended in 1898 when a new pier head was added. In 1908 and upper deck was added, and the Prince George extension was completed in 1929. A tramway was built along the railway, and new modern streamlined cars were built in the 1930s. The pier head was badly damaged by fire in 1976, and the railway closed in 1978. At one point it looked as if the pier would be closed altogether, but a trnsfer to private ownership prevented this, and a new railway was opened in 1986, using two small diesel trains. In the same year, the breech was breached by a ship, but the gap was bridged. A subsequent fire destroyed the entertainment complex at the pier entrance, and in October 2005 the pier head railway station and shops were destroyed by a fire which started in the public house. The pier reopened fully in August 2006. On a more positive note, a stylish new RNLI lifeboat station was built at the pier head and an impressive new entrance in the style of the lifeboat station was opened more recently.
Sections on this Page:-
Southend Pier
- Postcards
Southend Pier
- Photographs
Southend Pier Railway
RNLI Lifeboats & Hovercraft
Thames & Essex Pages:-
Southend Excursion Vessels
MV Balmoral
- 2006 cruise past Southend Pier
PS Waverley
- 2005 cruise past Southend Pier
Essex Piers
Kent Piers
Brightlingsea
- River Colne port
General Steam Nav
- London & Thames Estuary excursions
Harwich
- River Colne port
Invicta Line
- Southend-Medway services
New Palace Steamers
- London & Thames Estuary excursions
Tilbury-Gravesend
Wivenhoe
- River Colne port
Associated Pages:-
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
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Southend Pier Postcards
Postcard of Southend Pier.
Postcard of Southend Pier.
'Life boats' by Southend Pier.
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Postcard of Southend Pier.
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Postcard of Southend Pier.
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Postcard of Southend Pier, with large and small local excursion boats.
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Postcard of Southend Pier.
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Southend Pier Photographs
Pier damage after the fire of 9th/10th October 2005.
The station, pub, and cafe were destroyed, although the metal structure was not badly damaged.
The fire was at the original end of the pier (it was lengthened some years after original constuction).
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
Pier damage after the fire of 9th/10th October 2005.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
Pier damage after the fire of 9th/10th October 2005.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
Pier damage after the fire of 9th/10th October 2005.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
Undamaged pier extension.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
Southend Pier.
Still the longest pier in the world, despite various accidental attempts to shorten it.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
Pier damage after the fire of 9th/10th October 2005.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
The new lifeboat centre on the pier extension - not damaged by the fire.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
The new lifeboat centre on the pier extension.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
Tug
Corringham
which attended the fire on 9th/10th October 2005.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005.
Southend Pier, with the jetty used by local excursion boats in the foreground.
I do not believe that any pleasure boats ran in 2006
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006.
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Southend Pier - the new pier entrance.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006.
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Southend Pier - the new pier entrance.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006
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Southend Pier, after re-opening the train service following the October 2005 fire.
Access to the end of the pier was not possible until August 2006.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006.
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Southend Pier - view along the pier from the temporary station in May 2006.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006.
Southend Pier - with work continuing to reopen the end of the pier.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006
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Southend Pier - with work continuing to reopen the end of the pier.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006
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Southend Pier - with work continuing to reopen the end of the pier.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006
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Southend Pier - the new lift to the pier entrance.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th June 2006
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Southend Pier - the new lift to the pier entrance.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th June 2006
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Southend Pier - the new pier entrance.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th June 2006
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Southend Pier
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th June 2006
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Southend Pier
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th June 2006
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Southend Pier
Seen from
MV Balmoral
before repairs were completed following the 2005 fire - the pier re-opened in August 2006
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 8th June 2006
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Southend Pier
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 8th June 2006
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Southend Pier
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 8th June 2006
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Southend Pier
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 8th June 2006
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