Norfolk Piers - Simplon Postcards

There are records of a pier or jetty in Cromer back as far as 1391. In the year 1582, Queen Elizabeth I granted rights to export wheat, barley and malt with the proceeds to be used for the maintenance and well-being of the pier and the town of Cromer.

The first recent pier at Cromer was a 210 foot jetty built in 1822. It was washed away in 1843 to be replaced, two years later, with a 240 foot structure. This lasted until 1890 when it too was destroyed by heavy seas. A 500 foot iron pier, the work of London engineering firm, Douglass and Arnott, replaced the second jetty. It opened on 8 June 1901, having cost �17,000. A bandstand was erected at the head. This was extended in 1905 to form a pavilion.

Sectioned in 1940 for defence purposes, the gap was bridged with planks to allow the lifeboat station to be reached (lifeboats have been stationed here since 1923).

The pier was damaged by storms in 1949, 1953, 1976 and 1978. In February 1990, gales destroyed the amusement arcade and, on the 14th of November 1993, a 100 ton rig crashed into the pier, isolating the theatre and lifeboat station. Repairs were made in time for the 1994 season.

Major reconstruction work has been carried out since 1993 by contractors Dossor East (first winners of the National Piers Society's 'Peter Mason Award' for engineering excellence. In 1997, the old lifeboat house and launching ramp were temporarily removed. The pier pavilion was reopened by actor Stephen Fry on the 27th June 2004, but was damaged by a storm early in the following year.

The seaward pavilion continues to stage traditional summer season variety shows and Sunday concerts. The ambience of the pier is maintained by the complete absence of any amusement machines or other modern artefacts. (ref: www.piers.org.uk)

The Great Yarmouth Britannia Pier was first proposed in 1856 and work began in September 1857. A.W.Morant was the engineer. The 700 foot structure opened on 13th July 1858. The length of the pier was reduced by a ship collision in 1859 and storm damage in 1868. It was demolished in 1899.

A replacement was started on 13th December 1900 to the design of Joseph and Arthur Mayoh. The 810 foot pier deck and temporary pavilion opened in 1901. This pavilion was replaced with the grand first pavilion which opened on 21st June 1902. This was, however, destroyed by fire on 22nd December 1909. The second pavilion designed by Douglass & Arnott was completed in 1910, but was itself burnt down on 17th April 1914, allegedly by the Suffragettes, who had been refused permission to hold a meeting there. Within three months a third pavilion had been built, opening on 27th July.

The Floral Hall Ballroom was opened in May 1928 but was wrecked by fire on 3rd August 1932. A new Grand Ballroom opened in 1933, but this too was destroyed by fire on 20th April 1954, along with the third pavilion. The pier was closed and sectioned during the war. It re-opened in 1947 after repairs. The present pavilion opened on 27th June 1958, but the Ballroom (called the Ocean Ballroom from 1947) was never replaced.

Previously owned by First Leisure plc, the pier was sold to the present owners, Family Amusements Ltd, in 1995. The Britannia Pier still provides popular live theatre shows and boasts a range of food outlets, bars, amusements and rides.
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(ref: Wikipedia & www.piers.org.uk)

Great Yarmouth jetty was originally constructed in 1560 as a place to land fish, and import and export goods. At the time the town was a major trading and fishing port, and the harbour was continually silting up, forcing new outlets to the sea to be cut. The jetty, which in the early days had a crane at the east end, provided a reliable means of loading and unloading boats.

The jetty was rebuilt in 1701, but 100 feet of it was swept away in 1767 and later carried away by storm in 1791. The entire structure was nearly destroyed by a storm in 1805. It was rebuilt without a crane in 1809, and was lengthened in 1846 and again in 1870. A glass roof was added in 1927 which was then declared unsafe and removed in 1959. In 1961, the timber structure was entirely replaced with a metal version. None of the original timbers of the jetty survived, with the possible exception of the timber piles.

Nelson landed at the original jetty structure in 1800 after the Battle of the Nile. The following year, Nelson embarked from the jetty to sail with the fleet to the Battle of Copenhagen, and disembarked there after the battle to visit the wounded at the nearby Naval Hospital in Yarmouth. During the Napoleonic Wars, the fleet was frequently assembled in Yarmouth Roads sheltered waters because ships were too large to enter the harbour, and would be too vulnerable to attack there. Officers, men and stores were transported to and from their ships from the jetty. In 1813 William III landed at the jetty when attempting to raise Dutch troops to oppose Napoleon Bonaparte.

The jetty has also been used in modern wars, and there was a small gun emplacement - two Bren guns - at the end of the jetty during the second world war. The structure was also partially demolished to stop it being used by potential invaders in the second world war.

The jetty has been a favourite subject for artists including John Constable. (ref: www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk)

The Great Yarmouth Wellington Pier was opened on the 31st October 1853 and the 700 feet (210m) wooden structure had cost �6,776 to build. The pier was designed by P. Ashcroft. In its first year open the pier was a huge success and made an impressive profit for then, of �581. Five years later a second pier was built close to the Wellington which had a very large financial effect on the profitability of the pier. By 1899 Great Yarmouth Corporation bailed out the failing business for the sum of �1,250 and had plans to improve the entertainment and amusement of the pier. On 13 July 1903 a new Pavilion was opened and a failed Winter gardens was bought from Torquay and was incorporated into the design of the pier.

In 1971, the seaward end was completely renewed at a cost of �30,000. In 1975, further funds were allocated for urgent maintenance. In 1986, the council's Commercial Management and Estates committee recommended demolition of the loss-making pier on the grounds that a �1 million pound redevelopment could not be justified. This led to public protests and new ideas. The council decided to lease the pier's operations. The entertainer Jim Davidson took over the lease between 1996 and 2002, but was unable to halt the pier's deterioration and it was eventually taken over by the present owners, Family amusements Ltd.

The pier eventually had to be closed for improvement and extensive restoration works. Work commenced in 2004, partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, under the Townscape Heritage Initiative. This included the removal of asbestos cladding and then the refurbishment of the steel and timber substructure and decking. The pier is now open and houses an amusement arcade, casino, a fully automatic bowling alley, ice cream parlour and gift shop.

(ref: Wikipedia & www.piers.org.uk)