![Beaumaris pier - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Beaumaris_pier_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1406832.jpg)
Beaumaris Pier is a
pier
image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.
A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
in
Beaumaris
Beaumaris ( ; cy, Biwmares ) is a town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, of which it is the former county town of Anglesey. It is located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey from ...
,
Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
,
North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
.
Construction
Designed by Frederick Foster, it had a concrete and stone neck, wooden piles supporting iron girders, and a wooden deck. After opening in 1846, it was rebuilt in 1872 along the new classical
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...
lines, with screw piles made from iron, steel supporting girders and a wooden deck. In 1895, works extended its deck length to , with a T-shaped pontoon end, a pavilion, and added a railway baggage line.
History
The reason for the reconstruction was to attract the pleasure steamers of the
Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Company
The Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Company (LNWSC) was a pleasure cruise company based in Liverpool.
Foundation
In 1890, the Glasgow-based Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company had formed the New North Wales Steamship Company (NNWS ...
, which plied to and from
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
,
Llandudno
Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigsi ...
and the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
along the
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...
. An accessible pier meant that Beaumaris could compete for summer traffic alongside the similarly equipped
Garth Pier
Garth Pier is a Grade II listed structure in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. At in length, it is the second-longest pier in Wales, and the ninth longest in the British Isles.
Construction
Designed by J.J. Webster of Westminster, London, the pier has ...
at
Bangor.
[
The most frequent steamers to call were the ''Snowdon'', ''La Marguerite'' and ''St. Elvies''. In the 1920s the local ]Sunday School
A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West.
Su ...
regularly chartered the ''Snowdon'' for its annual trips to Llandudno. The company also provided the ferry ''Cynful'', with regular summer service to Bangor, and evening excursions around Puffin Island.
The popularity of pleasure steamer services began to drop before World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, due to competition from the cheaper motor bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
. As a result, post-War there was some considerable deterioration to address, and with the decline in pleasure steamers, the decision was taken to demolish the T-head pontoon.[
In the 1960s, through lack of maintenance, the pier became unsafe and was again threatened with demolition. But local yachtswoman and ]RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
lifeboat secretary Miss Mary Burton made a large private donation to ensure the pier was saved for the town. With ownership passed to Beaumaris Town Council, they restored the residual structure at a cost of £15,000, with ownership passing to the Isle of Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island, ...
Borough Council
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
in 1974. They undertook additional repair works, and set aside a budget for the replacement of decaying timbers.[
In August 2010, Anglesey County Council approved plans for the refurbishment of the pier, to include: reinstatement of the pier to its former width (doubling its 1960s width); complete replacement of the decking; refurbishment of the kiosk and shelters; provision of a moveable landing pontoon, allowing its preservation during the winter storms.
]
Present
The refurbished Beaumaris Pier was unveiled for the 2011 season. There are refurbished seats with new planking, shelters plus an end pavilion, and a dual-purpose landing stage. Visitors can buy a license to enable Sea Fishing
Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless technique ...
, and access commercial boat services to cross to Puffin Island, or travel down the Menai Strait.[ To the left of the piers main deck is the '' Blue Peter II'' lifeboat station.][ The full length of the pier was refurbished in 2011-2012 and a floating pontoon landing stage was installed at the seaward end of the pier. The works included replacing all of the timber decking and the steel beams supporting the deck, and restoring the pier to its full width. The pier was reopened in May 2012. The designer of the pier refurbishment was the Colwyn Bay office of Capita Symonds Ltd, and the contractor was BAM Nuttall Ltd.
In 2017 filming took place on the pier for the ]Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
TV series ''Free Rein
''Free Rein'' is a British drama television series created and written by Vicki Lutas and Anna McCleery.
It stars Jaylen Barron, Navia Robinson (seasons 1-2) and Freddy Carter.
Produced in the UK by Lime Pictures, the ten-part first series premi ...
'' and scenes there were used in all three series.
References
External links
Beaumaris Pier, official website
at National Piers Society
The National Piers Society (NPS) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom dedicated to promoting and sustaining interest in the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers.
It was founded in 1979, with Sir John Betjeman as the fi ...
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Anglesey
Piers in Wales
Transport infrastructure completed in 1846
Tourist attractions in Anglesey
Menai Strait
Beaumaris