UK's longest wooden pier lives on
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) announced today that it will help save Yarmouth Pier with a £350,500 grant.
The pier, which opened in 1876, is being eaten by gribbles and shipworms. As many as 50 of its wooden supports have been attackedk and it is feared the pier will soon become unsafe.
The pier was built to accommodate paddle steamers carrying passengers from Lymington to the Isle of Wight. It has been a central feature of the town ever since and today acts as a landing stage for the Waverley Paddle Steamer and the Balmoral.
Built of timber, the landmark is 609ft long and features an octagonal pavilion with polygonal roof and a pavilion dating from 1927.
A spokesman says: “The grant from HLF is a lifeline for this Grade II listed structure, helping ensure it continues to be a popular promenade and berth for visiting historic steamships.”
The cash will also be used to save memories of the pier and celebrate its place in history through a new archive. Highlights of the pier’s past include Alfred Lord Tennyson composing “Crossing The Bar” whilst on the Yarmouth ferry, its links to the development of the railway on the Island and its role during both the World Wars.
