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Coordinates: 50°45′58″N 0°17′41″E / 50.7662°N 0.2946°E / 50.7662; 0.2946
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{{short description|Pier in Eastbourne, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox pier
{{Infobox pier
| name = Eastbourne Pier
| name = Eastbourne Pier
| image = The amusement arcade at eastbourne pier is but a shell (14814811863).jpg
| image = Eastbourne Pier, East Sussex, England 20June2018 arp.jpg
| caption = Eastbourne Pier on 31 July 2014, the day after a fire destroyed a third of it
| caption = Eastbourne Pier (June 2018)
| official_name = Eastbourne Pier
| official_name = Eastbourne Pier
| locale = [[Eastbourne]], [[East Sussex]]
| locale = [[Eastbourne]], [[East Sussex]]
Line 12: Line 13:
| open = 13 June 1870
| open = 13 June 1870
| coordinates = {{coord|50.7662|0.2946|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|50.7662|0.2946|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
|owner = Sheikh Abid Gulzar
|owner = Abid Gulzar
}}
}}
'''Eastbourne Pier''' is a seaside pleasure [[pier]] in [[Eastbourne]], [[East Sussex]], on the south coast of [[England]].
'''Eastbourne Pier''' is a seaside pleasure [[pier]] in [[Eastbourne]], [[East Sussex]], on the south coast of [[England]].


==History==
==History==
The proposal for a pier was first mooted at the end of 1863, and highly favoured by the town’s major landowner, the seventh [[Duke of Devonshire]]. It was to have been 1000 feet in length and, at a cost of £12,000, would have been situated at the end of the town’s grandest avenue, Devonshire Place. However, the project was delayed and finally abandoned in favour of the present site at the junction of Grand and Marine Parades, thus creating the easterly end of what amounts to a shingle bay. The pier interrupts what would otherwise have been a ribbon development of buildings&nbsp;– to the west, high-class hotels, with modest family hotels and boarding houses to the east.<ref name="Crook 10">{{cite journal|title=Eastbourne Pier&nbsp;— Past, present and future|journal=The Eastbourne Society Observer|date=Spring 2010|first=Richard|last=Crook|coauthors=|volume=|issue=182|pages=10|id= |url=|format= }}</ref>
The proposal for a pier was first mooted at the end of 1863, and highly favoured by the town's major landowner, [[William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire]]. It was to have been 1000 feet in length and, at a cost of £12,000, would have been situated at the end of the town's grandest avenue, Devonshire Place. However, the project was delayed and finally abandoned in favour of the present site at the junction of Grand and Marine Parades, thus creating the easterly end of what amounts to a shingle bay. The pier interrupts what would otherwise have been a ribbon development of buildings&nbsp;– to the west, high-class hotels, with modest family hotels and boarding houses to the east.<ref name="Crook 10">{{cite journal|title=Eastbourne Pier&nbsp;— Past, present and future|journal=The Eastbourne Society Observer|date=Spring 2010|first=Richard|last=Crook|issue=182|pages=10}}</ref>


The Eastbourne Pier Company was registered in April 1865 with a capital of £15,000<ref name="Surtees 2002 134">{{cite book | last = Surtees | first = Dr John | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Eastbourne&nbsp;— a history | publisher = Phillimore | year = 2002 | location = Chichester | pages = 134 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 1-86077-226-9 }}</ref> and on 18 April 1866 work began. It was opened by [[Lord Edward Cavendish]] on 13 June 1870, although it was not actually completed until two years later.<ref name="bbcnews">[http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-28571431 Fire rips through Eastbourne Pier], ''BBC News'', 30 July 2014</ref> On New Year's Day 1877 the landward half was swept away in a storm. It was rebuilt at a higher level, creating a drop towards the end of the pier. The pier is effectively built on stilts that rest in cups on the sea-bed allowing the whole structure to move during rough weather. It is roughly 300&nbsp;metres (1000&nbsp;ft) long. A domed 400-seater pavilion was constructed at a cost of £250 at the seaward end in 1888. A 1000-seater theatre, bar, [[camera obscura]] and office suite replaced this in 1899/1901. At the same time, two saloons were built midway along the pier.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/piers/eastbourne%20pier.htm |title=English Seaside Piers&nbsp;— Eastbourne Pier |accessdate=13 March 2010 |publisher=English Heritage Trail }}</ref> The camera obscura fell into disuse in the 1960s but was restored in 2003 with a new stairway built to provide access.<ref name="Crook 10"/>
The Eastbourne Pier Company was registered in April 1865 with a capital of £15,000<ref name="Surtees 2002 134">{{cite book | last = Surtees | first = Dr John | title = Eastbourne&nbsp;— a history | publisher = Phillimore | year = 2002 | location = Chichester | pages = 134 | isbn = 1-86077-226-9 }}</ref> and on 18 April 1866 work began. It was opened by [[Lord Edward Cavendish]] on 13 June 1870, although it was not actually completed until two years later.<ref name="bbcnews">[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-28571431 Fire rips through Eastbourne Pier], ''BBC News'', 30 July 2014</ref> On New Year's Day 1877 the landward half was swept away in a storm. It was rebuilt at a higher level, creating a drop towards the end of the pier. The pier is effectively built on stilts that rest in cups on the sea-bed allowing the whole structure to move during rough weather. It is roughly 300&nbsp;metres (1000&nbsp;ft) long. A domed 400-seater pavilion was constructed at a cost of £250 at the seaward end in 1888. A 1000-seater theatre, bar, [[camera obscura]] and office suite replaced this in 1899/1901. At the same time, two saloons were built midway along the pier.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/piers/eastbourne%20pier.htm |title=English Seaside Piers&nbsp;— Eastbourne Pier |access-date=13 March 2010 |publisher=English Heritage Trail }}</ref> The camera obscura fell into disuse in the 1960s but was restored in 2003 with a new stairway built to provide access.<ref name="Crook 10"/>


[[Paddle steamers]] (such as the ''PS Brighton Queen'' and the ''PS Devonia'') operated by [[P and A Campbell]] ran trips from the pier along the south coast and across the [[English Channel|Channel]] to [[Boulogne]]<ref name="Surtees 2002 134"/> from 1906 until the outbreak of the [[Second World War]]. These were resumed after the war, but the paddle steamers were gradually withdrawn from service. In 1957, the final season was operated by a motor vessel.
[[Paddle steamers]] (such as the ''PS Brighton Queen'' and the ''PS Devonia'') operated by [[P and A Campbell]] ran trips from the pier along the south coast, to the [[Isle of Wight ]] and across the [[English Channel|Channel]] to [[Boulogne]]<ref name="Surtees 2002 134"/> from 1906 until the outbreak of the [[Second World War]]. These were resumed after the war, but the paddle steamers were gradually withdrawn from service. In 1957, the final season was operated by a motor vessel.


During the [[Second World War]], part of the decking was removed and [[machine guns]] were installed in the theatre providing a useful point from which to repel any attempted enemy landings and a [[Bofors]] anti-aircraft gun was sited midway along the length of the pier.<ref>{{cite book | last = Hardy | first = N W | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Eastbourne 1939-1945 | publisher = Strange the Printer | year = 1945 | location = Eastbourne | pages = 64 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = }}</ref>
During the [[Second World War]], part of the decking was removed and [[machine guns]] were installed in the theatre providing a useful point from which to repel any attempted enemy landings and a [[Bofors]] anti-aircraft gun was sited midway along the length of the pier.<ref>{{cite book | last = Hardy | first = N W | title = Eastbourne 1939–1945 | publisher = Strange the Printer | year = 1945 | location = Eastbourne | pages = 64 }}</ref>
In December 1942, an exploding mine caused considerable damage to the pier and nearby hotels; it had been tied to the stanchions by the local police, who were under the mistaken impression that it was fitted with a safety device. In 1943, a detachment of [[Royal Canadian Engineers]] fixed camouflage netting over the stanchions to conceal flotillas of small vessels, such as wooden assault landing craft. A [[George Medal]] and a [[British Empire Medal]] were awarded to two of the engineers who dived into the sea on 3 February 1943 to rescue a comrade who had fallen from a cableway which crossed a 30-foot gap in the structure.<ref name=OCKENDEN>{{Citation|last=Ockenden|first=Michael|title=Canucks by the Sea|place=Eastbourne|publisher=[[Eastbourne Local History Society]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-9547647-4-6}}</ref>
In December 1942, an exploding mine caused considerable damage to the pier and nearby hotels; it had been tied to the stanchions by the local police, who were under the mistaken impression that it was fitted with a safety device. In 1943, a detachment of [[Royal Canadian Engineers]] fixed camouflage netting over the stanchions to conceal flotillas of small vessels, such as wooden assault landing craft. A [[George Medal]] and a [[British Empire Medal]] were awarded to two of the engineers who dived into the sea on 3 February 1943 to rescue a comrade who had fallen from a cableway which crossed a 30-foot gap in the structure.<ref name=OCKENDEN>{{Citation|last=Ockenden|first=Michael|title=Canucks by the Sea|place=Eastbourne|publisher=[[Eastbourne Local History Society]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-9547647-4-6}}</ref>


Various traditional pier [[theatres]] were built over the years but after the last one was destroyed by fire in 1970,<ref name="Surtees 2002 134"/> it was replaced by a nightclub and bar which remain to this day.<ref name="bbcnews"/> On the landward half of the pier stands a [[fish and chip]] kiosk, an [[amusement arcade]] and a [[fast food]] outlet. Further out, as well as the club there is a [[cafe]], a [[restaurant]], a [[glassblower]], a clothes shop and an [[ice cream]] shop.<ref>{{Cite web|url =http://www.eastbournepier.com/page/78/Pier-Retail.htm|title =Eastbourne Pier, Pier Retail|date =|accessdate =22 August 2014|website =|publisher =|last =|first =|deadurl =yes|archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20140826161454/http://www.eastbournepier.com/page/78/Pier-Retail.htm|archivedate =26 August 2014|df =}}</ref> The tower at the end of the pier is often used as a viewing point during the [[Airbourne (air show)|annual air show]].
Various traditional pier [[theatres]] were built over the years but after the last one was destroyed by fire in 1970,<ref name="Surtees 2002 134"/> it was replaced by a nightclub and bar which remain to this day.<ref name="bbcnews"/> On the landward half of the pier stands a [[fish and chip]] kiosk, an [[amusement arcade]] and a [[fast food]] outlet. Further out, as well as the club there is a [[café|cafe]], a [[restaurant]], a [[glassblower]], a clothes shop and an [[ice cream]] shop.<ref>{{Cite web|url =http://www.eastbournepier.com/page/78/Pier-Retail.htm|title =Eastbourne Pier, Pier Retail|access-date =22 August 2014|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140826161454/http://www.eastbournepier.com/page/78/Pier-Retail.htm|archive-date =26 August 2014}}</ref> The tower at the end of the pier is often used as a viewing point during the [[Airbourne (air show)|annual air show]]. For more than a decade, the pier played host to the town's annual Birdman competition, which saw competitors jump into the sea in home-made costumes to see who could 'fly' the furthest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/6803162.birdman-contest-grounded/|title=Birdman contest grounded|date=27 July 2005|website=Brighton Argus}}</ref>


In May 2009, the [[listed building]] status of the pier was upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8040156.stm|title=BBC NEWS&nbsp;— UK&nbsp;— England&nbsp;— Sussex&nbsp;— Status of listed pier is upgraded|work=bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>[http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6140.aspx Culture] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515003403/http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6140.aspx |date=2009-05-15 }}</ref>
In May 2009, the [[listed building]] status of the pier was upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8040156.stm|title=Status of listed pier is upgraded|work=BBC News|date=8 May 2009}}</ref><ref>[http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6140.aspx Culture] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515003403/http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6140.aspx |date=15 May 2009 }}</ref>


Six Piers Limited placed Eastbourne Pier up for sale in 2009, with an asking price of £5.5 million. The sale price included a tea room, two bars, an amusement arcade and a nightclub.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/5486863/Eastbourne-Pier-up-for-sale.html
Six Piers Limited placed Eastbourne Pier up for sale in 2009, with an asking price of £5.5 million. The sale price included a tea room, two bars, an amusement arcade and a nightclub.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/5486863/Eastbourne-Pier-up-for-sale.html
|title= Eastbourne Pier up for sale |accessdate=28 March 2010 |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk | location=London | first=Caroline | last=Shearing | date=9 June 2009}}</ref>
|title= Eastbourne Pier up for sale |access-date=28 March 2010 |work=The Daily Telegraph| location=London | first=Caroline | last=Shearing | date=9 June 2009}}</ref>


On 21 October 2015, "Sheikh" Abid Gulzar, a local hotelier, bought the pier for an undisclosed fee, although it is believed to be less than £5.5 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=[[BBC South East Today]]|network=BBC One S East|date=21 October 2015|time=18:42}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Pier Sale decision to be revealed this week|newspaper=Eastbourne Gazette|date=20 October 2015|page=3|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref>
On 21 October 2015, Abid Gulzar, a local hotelier, bought the pier for an undisclosed price, although it is believed to be less than £5.5 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=[[BBC South East Today]]|work=BBC One S East|date=21 October 2015|time=18:42}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Pier Sale decision to be revealed this week|newspaper=Eastbourne Gazette|date=20 October 2015|page=3|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref> The pier was then fully repaired and reopened.{{when|date=January 2022}}


==Fire==
==Fire==
⚫
[[File:Eastbourne Pier on Fire (14784682624).jpg|thumb|right|The pier on fire on 30 July 2014]]
The pier suffered a fire on 30 July 2014 that ripped through a large amount of the central domed building. Sussex Police initially said that the fire was not to be treated suspiciously,<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-28571431
The pier suffered a fire on 30 July 2014 that ripped through a large amount of the central domed building. Sussex Police initially said that the fire was not to be treated suspiciously,<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-28571431 |title= Fire rips through Eastbourne Pier |access-date=30 July 2014 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=30 July 2014}}</ref> though later the police said [[arson]] was suspected.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28610853|title=Eastbourne Pier blaze: Arson probe launched by police|work=BBC News|date=1 August 2014}}</ref>
|title= Fire rips through Eastbourne Pier
|accessdate=30 July 2014 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=30 July 2014}}</ref> though later the police said [[arson]] was suspected.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28610853|title=Eastbourne Pier blaze: Arson probe launched by police|work=BBC News}}</ref>


[[East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service]] deployed up to 80 officers to tackle the blaze, which allegedly started in wood panelling in the walls of the games arcade. After fighting the fire through the night, fire officers eliminated the main hotspots and saved two thirds of the pier with the main arcade being the only large building affected.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-28579265|title=Eastbourne Pier fire: Firefighters save two thirds of structure}}</ref> The outer pavilion was not reached by the fire, which came just two weeks before Eastbourne's largest tourist event on the seafront, the [[Airbourne (air show)|airshow ''Airbourne'']].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11001910/Eastbourne-pier-latest-to-be-swallowed-by-fire.html|title=Eastbourne pier latest to be swallowed by fire}}</ref>
[[East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service]] deployed up to 80 officers to tackle the blaze, which allegedly started in wood panelling in the walls of the games arcade. After fighting the fire through the night, fire officers eliminated the main hotspots and saved two-thirds of the pier with the main arcade being the only large building affected.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-28579265|title=Eastbourne Pier fire: Firefighters save two-thirds of structure|date=31 July 2014|work=BBC News}}</ref> The outer pavilion was not reached by the fire, which came just two weeks before Eastbourne's largest tourist event on the seafront, the [[Airbourne (air show)|airshow ''Airbourne'']].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11001910/Eastbourne-pier-latest-to-be-swallowed-by-fire.html|title=Eastbourne pier latest to be swallowed by fire|date=8 May 2009|work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref>


A few days after the airshow, a workman on the pier fell through the destroyed part and died hours later.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-28869437|title=Eastbourne Pier fall workman named as Stephen Penrice}}</ref>
A few days after the airshow, a 44-year-old workman on the pier fell through the destroyed part and died hours later.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-28869437|title=Eastbourne Pier fall workman named as Stephen Penrice|work=BBC News|date=20 August 2014}}</ref>
[[File:The amusement arcade at eastbourne pier is but a shell (14814811863).jpg|thumb|right|Eastbourne Pier on 31 July 2014, the day after a fire destroyed a third of it]]


==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==
The pier appears in the [[Agatha Christie's Poirot]] episode "[[Poirot Investigates#The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan|Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan]]" (although ostensibly, the story is located in [[Brighton]]) and in "Curtain: Poirot's Last Case". It was also featured in the 2001 film ''[[Last Orders (film)|Last Orders]]'' and the 2008 film ''[[Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging]]''.<ref name="bbcnews"/> The 2010 film ''[[Brighton Rock (2010 film)|Brighton Rock]]'' used Eastbourne Pier to stand in for [[Brighton Pier|Brighton's Palace Pier]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kennedy|first1=Maev|title=Brighton's Palace Pier withdrawn from sale by owners|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/26/brighton-palace-pier-withdrawn-sale|work=The Guardian|accessdate=30 July 2014}}</ref>
The pier appears in the ''[[Agatha Christie's Poirot]]'' episodes "[[Poirot Investigates#The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan|Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan]]" (although the story is set in [[Brighton]]) and "[[Curtain: Poirot's Last Case]]". It was also featured in the 2001 film ''[[Last Orders (film)|Last Orders]]'' and the 2008 film ''[[Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging]]''.<ref name="bbcnews"/> The 2010 film ''[[Brighton Rock (2010 film)|Brighton Rock]]'' used Eastbourne Pier to stand in for [[Brighton Pier|Brighton's Palace Pier]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kennedy|first1=Maev|title=Brighton's Palace Pier withdrawn from sale by owners|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/26/brighton-palace-pier-withdrawn-sale|work=The Guardian|access-date=30 July 2014}}</ref>

[[Eastbourne Town FC]] supporters club "Pier Pressure" are named in homage to the pier.{{cn|date=January 2022}}


==Awards==
==Awards==
*1997 - [[National Piers Society]] - '''Pier of the Year'''
*1997 – [[National Piers Society]] – '''Pier of the Year'''


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
Line 57: Line 60:
Image:Eastbourne.30.4.05.jpg|View from the Downs
Image:Eastbourne.30.4.05.jpg|View from the Downs
Image:eastbournepierobscurer.jpg|The pier's tower with its camera obscura
Image:eastbournepierobscurer.jpg|The pier's tower with its camera obscura
⚫
Image:Eastbourne Pier on Fire (14784682624).jpg|The pier on fire on 30 July 2014
</gallery>
</gallery>


Line 67: Line 69:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/piers/eastbourne%20pier.htm History of the pier]
*[http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/piers/eastbourne%20pier.htm History of the pier]

{{S-start}}
{{S-ach}}
{{Succession box| before = ''Not awarded'' | title = {{nowrap|[[National Piers Society]]<br />''Pier of the Year''}} | years = 1997| after = [[Brighton Palace Pier]]}}
{{S-end}}


{{Piers in the United Kingdom}}
{{Piers in the United Kingdom}}


[[Category:Buildings and structures in Eastbourne]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Eastbourne]]
[[Category:Pier fires]]
[[Category:Piers in Sussex]]
[[Category:Piers in Sussex]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in East Sussex]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in East Sussex]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed buildings in East Sussex]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed buildings in East Sussex]]
[[Category:Camera obscuras]]
[[Category:Camera obscuras]]
[[Category:1870 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed piers]]
[[Category:Burned buildings and structures in the United Kingdom]]

Latest revision as of 07:31, 31 May 2024

Eastbourne Pier
Eastbourne Pier (June 2018)
TypePleasure Pier
LocaleEastbourne, East Sussex
Official nameEastbourne Pier
OwnerAbid Gulzar
Characteristics
Total length1,000 feet (300 m)
History
DesignerEugenius Birch
Opening date13 June 1870
Coordinates50°45′58″N 0°17′41″E / 50.7662°N 0.2946°E / 50.7662; 0.2946

Eastbourne Pier is a seaside pleasure pier in Eastbourne, East Sussex, on the south coast of England.

History

[edit]

The proposal for a pier was first mooted at the end of 1863, and highly favoured by the town's major landowner, William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire. It was to have been 1000 feet in length and, at a cost of £12,000, would have been situated at the end of the town's grandest avenue, Devonshire Place. However, the project was delayed and finally abandoned in favour of the present site at the junction of Grand and Marine Parades, thus creating the easterly end of what amounts to a shingle bay. The pier interrupts what would otherwise have been a ribbon development of buildings – to the west, high-class hotels, with modest family hotels and boarding houses to the east.[1]

The Eastbourne Pier Company was registered in April 1865 with a capital of £15,000[2] and on 18 April 1866 work began. It was opened by Lord Edward Cavendish on 13 June 1870, although it was not actually completed until two years later.[3] On New Year's Day 1877 the landward half was swept away in a storm. It was rebuilt at a higher level, creating a drop towards the end of the pier. The pier is effectively built on stilts that rest in cups on the sea-bed allowing the whole structure to move during rough weather. It is roughly 300 metres (1000 ft) long. A domed 400-seater pavilion was constructed at a cost of £250 at the seaward end in 1888. A 1000-seater theatre, bar, camera obscura and office suite replaced this in 1899/1901. At the same time, two saloons were built midway along the pier.[4] The camera obscura fell into disuse in the 1960s but was restored in 2003 with a new stairway built to provide access.[1]

Paddle steamers (such as the PS Brighton Queen and the PS Devonia) operated by P and A Campbell ran trips from the pier along the south coast, to the Isle of Wight and across the Channel to Boulogne[2] from 1906 until the outbreak of the Second World War. These were resumed after the war, but the paddle steamers were gradually withdrawn from service. In 1957, the final season was operated by a motor vessel.

During the Second World War, part of the decking was removed and machine guns were installed in the theatre providing a useful point from which to repel any attempted enemy landings and a Bofors anti-aircraft gun was sited midway along the length of the pier.[5] In December 1942, an exploding mine caused considerable damage to the pier and nearby hotels; it had been tied to the stanchions by the local police, who were under the mistaken impression that it was fitted with a safety device. In 1943, a detachment of Royal Canadian Engineers fixed camouflage netting over the stanchions to conceal flotillas of small vessels, such as wooden assault landing craft. A George Medal and a British Empire Medal were awarded to two of the engineers who dived into the sea on 3 February 1943 to rescue a comrade who had fallen from a cableway which crossed a 30-foot gap in the structure.[6]

Various traditional pier theatres were built over the years but after the last one was destroyed by fire in 1970,[2] it was replaced by a nightclub and bar which remain to this day.[3] On the landward half of the pier stands a fish and chip kiosk, an amusement arcade and a fast food outlet. Further out, as well as the club there is a cafe, a restaurant, a glassblower, a clothes shop and an ice cream shop.[7] The tower at the end of the pier is often used as a viewing point during the annual air show. For more than a decade, the pier played host to the town's annual Birdman competition, which saw competitors jump into the sea in home-made costumes to see who could 'fly' the furthest.[8]

In May 2009, the listed building status of the pier was upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*.[9][10]

Six Piers Limited placed Eastbourne Pier up for sale in 2009, with an asking price of £5.5 million. The sale price included a tea room, two bars, an amusement arcade and a nightclub.[11]

On 21 October 2015, Abid Gulzar, a local hotelier, bought the pier for an undisclosed price, although it is believed to be less than £5.5 million.[12][13] The pier was then fully repaired and reopened.[when?]

Fire

[edit]
The pier on fire on 30 July 2014

The pier suffered a fire on 30 July 2014 that ripped through a large amount of the central domed building. Sussex Police initially said that the fire was not to be treated suspiciously,[14] though later the police said arson was suspected.[15]

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service deployed up to 80 officers to tackle the blaze, which allegedly started in wood panelling in the walls of the games arcade. After fighting the fire through the night, fire officers eliminated the main hotspots and saved two-thirds of the pier with the main arcade being the only large building affected.[16] The outer pavilion was not reached by the fire, which came just two weeks before Eastbourne's largest tourist event on the seafront, the airshow Airbourne.[17]

A few days after the airshow, a 44-year-old workman on the pier fell through the destroyed part and died hours later.[18]

Eastbourne Pier on 31 July 2014, the day after a fire destroyed a third of it
[edit]

The pier appears in the Agatha Christie's Poirot episodes "Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" (although the story is set in Brighton) and "Curtain: Poirot's Last Case". It was also featured in the 2001 film Last Orders and the 2008 film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.[3] The 2010 film Brighton Rock used Eastbourne Pier to stand in for Brighton's Palace Pier.[19]

Eastbourne Town FC supporters club "Pier Pressure" are named in homage to the pier.[citation needed]

Awards

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  • Eastbourne Pier
    Eastbourne Pier
  • Etching from 1870
    Etching from 1870
  • Summer 1996
    Summer 1996
  • View from the Downs
    View from the Downs
  • The pier's tower with its camera obscura
    The pier's tower with its camera obscura

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Crook, Richard (Spring 2010). "Eastbourne Pier — Past, present and future". The Eastbourne Society Observer (182): 10.
  2. ^ a b c Surtees, Dr John (2002). Eastbourne — a history. Chichester: Phillimore. p. 134. ISBN 1-86077-226-9.
  3. ^ a b c Fire rips through Eastbourne Pier, BBC News, 30 July 2014
  4. ^ "English Seaside Piers — Eastbourne Pier". English Heritage Trail. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  5. ^ Hardy, N W (1945). Eastbourne 1939–1945. Eastbourne: Strange the Printer. p. 64.
  6. ^ Ockenden, Michael (2009), Canucks by the Sea, Eastbourne: Eastbourne Local History Society, ISBN 978-0-9547647-4-6
  7. ^ "Eastbourne Pier, Pier Retail". Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  8. ^ "Birdman contest grounded". Brighton Argus. 27 July 2005.
  9. ^ "Status of listed pier is upgraded". BBC News. 8 May 2009.
  10. ^ Culture Archived 15 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Shearing, Caroline (9 June 2009). "Eastbourne Pier up for sale". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  12. ^ "BBC South East Today". BBC One S East. 21 October 2015. Event occurs at 18:42.
  13. ^ "Pier Sale decision to be revealed this week". Eastbourne Gazette. 20 October 2015. p. 3.
  14. ^ "Fire rips through Eastbourne Pier". BBC News. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  15. ^ "Eastbourne Pier blaze: Arson probe launched by police". BBC News. 1 August 2014.
  16. ^ "Eastbourne Pier fire: Firefighters save two-thirds of structure". BBC News. 31 July 2014.
  17. ^ "Eastbourne pier latest to be swallowed by fire". The Daily Telegraph. 8 May 2009.
  18. ^ "Eastbourne Pier fall workman named as Stephen Penrice". BBC News. 20 August 2014.
  19. ^ Kennedy, Maev. "Brighton's Palace Pier withdrawn from sale by owners". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eastbourne Pier.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Not awarded
 National Piers Society
Pier of the Year
1997 		Succeeded by
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