Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 59

FEATURE

In 2007, Ryde Pier is still a major terminal for passenger traffic to
and from the Island. Although it has lost its Victorian buildings,
the promenade section still contains fine examples of the
quintessentially British wrought-iron work along its length.

building in 1976, and a 5-year re-planking
project began to restore its former glory.
This continued in the early 1980s, when
a modern waiting area, including some of
the original buildings, replaced the original
Victorian waiting rooms at the pier head.

Sandown Pier

Plans to build a pier at Sandown
had been discussed since the early
1860s, but took a while to get off the
ground. Construction began in 1876
but a series of delays and closures
(not altogether unfamiliar to us today)
followed. A newly extended Sandown
Pier finally re-opened to great fanfare
at a town regatta in September 1895.
In 1940 Sandown Pier, like Ryde and
most others on the south and east coasts
of Britain, was fortified as an anti-invasion
measure. As was often the case, the
seaward section began to deteriorate
due to lack of proper maintenance.
After the war Sandown Pier was repaired
and the resort’s popularity once again
blossomed. The pier played host to
royalty in 1965 when the Queen and
Prince Philip attended a ceremony in the
pavilion during a tour of the Island.
The old pavilion at the seaward end was
demolished when the pier was rebuilt
and structural repairs were carried out
in the late 1960s. Lord Mountbatten
performed the re-opening ceremony
in July 1973, however, a fire gutted
the theatre in 1989. After substantial
repairs, the building was re-opened
the following year. The theatre finally
closed in the late 1990s and has been
converted to an entertainment complex.

life

Above: Yarmouth Pier has a secure future, and is a popular venue for both
fishermen and strollers. Below: Below: Today, the privately owned Totland
Pier is in a dilapidated state and its long-term future remains in doubt.

pier were steeped in controversy. It
was built against fierce opposition
from the local boatmen, who made a
few extra bob by ferrying passengers
from offshore steamers to the quay.
Yarmouth Pier was built in 1876 and,
at 685 feet is the longest timber pier in
England still open to the public. It was
originally used for steamers, including the
ferry service from Lymington, until the car
ferry was introduced. After 1930 it was
used by a variety of smaller pleasure craft.
Several weeks after it opened, the
pier was damaged when a ship drifted
into the structure after breaking loose
from its moorings, and in 1909 it
again suffered collision damage.
In 1975 the pier was given a Grade
II listing. By this time, it was in a
dilapidated state, but permission for
demolition was refused and a restoration
campaign was launched. Money was
spent on replacing the walkway and
other general maintenance. A second
ca