The Battle of the Brighton Piers
Brighton, East Sussex, is one of a handful of seaside towns in the UK that has not just one, but two piers. Piers have been around as a centre of leisure and recreation for hundreds of years. Tourists and locals enjoyed a stroll along the promenade on a sunny day, as they believed that the fresh sea air offered excellent health benefits. This was also a reason that piers became popular, as they allowed visitors to stand out over the sea even closer to the fresh air. Originally, only the wealthy were permitted access to such a sought after benefit of being by the sea. In 1866 the West Pier was built on the Brighton and Hove border and consisted of a few oriental sun huts. It wasn’t until 1916 the pier was developed to include a concert hall and grand entrance in order to entertain its privileged guests.
Image source: liberalengland.blogspot.com
Prior to the ornamental and grand privately owned West Pier being built, a Royal Suspension Chain Pier had been erected further East along Brighton beach, to be used as a landing stage for boats to France, and toll booths controlled and restricted access to the pier. Eventually the Chain Pier fell beyond repair and was replaced by the new Palace Pier in 1899. In the 20th Century, both the West Pier and Palace Pier existed happily alongside each other, both piers serving tourists and locals for entertainment and folly and also providing an interesting location for many films and television programmes.
However, the 20th Century was also a troubling time for both of Brighton’s much loved piers. From plane crashes, to storms, and bomb threats to fires, both piers suffered damage and for the West Pier, it was all too much. In 1975, after the West Pier had changed ownership several times, it was closed to the public due to lack of funding for extensive repairs that needed to be made to the ornate structure. In the early 1990s, the entrance and boardwalk were cut off from each other so that nobody could access the building without permission or the correct safety measures. It seemed that the pier had been left to rot away with just the thousands of sparrows who had made it their home for company. The future of the pier was uncertain and in May 2003 a fire broke out destroying the building to its bare iron bones. Professional arson was suspected, blaming potential benefactors and investors, but never proven.
The life of the West Pier as it was remembered was over, and since 2003 the Palace Pier has reigned supreme as the home of the bright lights of Brighton. During the day people love to visit the fairground rides and side stalls, and during the evening people visiting a drinks bar Brighton has to offer also enjoy a night time stroll and a punt at the arcade. However, the West Pier is still loved by residents and with its boutique hotels Brighton sees the shell of the building out at see as a romantic gothic piece of art. The latest update on the West Pier is that a Brighton based millionaire businessman has bought it and plans to restore it to its former glory. The battle of the Brighton piers looks set to start again soon if these plans go ahead.
