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Weymouth Pier is a peninsula between Weymouth Harbour and
There is little documented history to the origins of Weymouth Pier, though it is believed that a structure existed as early as 1812.
* 1840: Considerable change was made to the port area when a pile-pier, filled with a mixture of Portland stone and shingle concrete, was built on the northern edge of the harbour;
* 1860 Weymouth Pier was largely rebuilt in timber and at the same time, extended to a length of ;
* 1877: A cargo stage was added;
* 1889: A landing stage and baggage handling hall were built;
* 1908: The
Weymouth Pavilion Development
{{Jurassic Coast 1812 establishments in England Buildings and structures in Weymouth, Dorset Geography of Weymouth, Dorset Tourist attractions in Weymouth, Dorset Piers in Dorset es:Weymouth Pavilion
Weymouth Pier is a peninsula between Weymouth Harbour and Weymouth Beach
__NOTOC__
Weymouth Beach is a gently curving arc of sand in Weymouth Bay, beside the town of Weymouth in Dorset, England. Immediately adjacent to the beach is The Esplanade.
The beach is a popular destination for sea bathing, and was frequ ...
, in Dorset, England
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , D ...
. It was intended to extend Weymouth's esplanade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...
, and consists of a theatre, Weymouth Pavilion
The Weymouth Pavilion, formerly the Ritz, is a theatre in Weymouth, Dorset. The complex contains a 988-seat theatre, 600 (maximum) capacity ballroom known as the Ocean Room, the Piano Bar restaurant, Ritz Cafe and other function and meeting roo ...
; pleasure pier; car parking and a cross-channel ferry terminal. The entire site underwent redevelopment to include new facilities for the 2012 Olympic Games, including the Weymouth Sea Life Tower.
Early history
There is little documented history to the origins of Weymouth Pier, though it is believed that a structure existed as early as 1812.
The new pier
Costing £120,000 the pier was constructed in reinforced concrete, reaching a length of and varying between in width at the shoreward end and at the seaward end. When built, the pier was divided into two halves. The southern side of the deck was reserved for commercial use, and was fitted out to load and unload cargo from harbour ships, including electric cranes, electrically operated capstans and two railway tracks. The pier was capable of handling one passenger vessel, three cargo vessels and two pleasure steamers simultaneously. The northern side, fenced off from the industrial section, was a promenade area. This included shelters, a diving stage, changing rooms, and at night the whole promenade area would be illuminated, with views acrossWeymouth Bay
Weymouth Bay is a sheltered bay on the south coast of England, in Dorset. It is protected from erosion by Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland, and includes several beaches, notably Weymouth Beach, a gently curving arc of golden sand which st ...
and Nothe Fort
Nothe Fort is a fort in Weymouth, Dorset, England, situated at the end of the Nothe Peninsula, which juts eastwards from the town of Weymouth, and Weymouth Harbour, into the sea to the north of the ex-military Portland Harbour. The fort is l ...
.
Key dates
* 1840: Considerable change was made to the port area when a pile-pier, filled with a mixture of Portland stone and shingle concrete, was built on the northern edge of the harbour;
* 1860 Weymouth Pier was largely rebuilt in timber and at the same time, extended to a length of ;
* 1877: A cargo stage was added;
* 1889: A landing stage and baggage handling hall were built;
* 1908: The Weymouth Pavilion
The Weymouth Pavilion, formerly the Ritz, is a theatre in Weymouth, Dorset. The complex contains a 988-seat theatre, 600 (maximum) capacity ballroom known as the Ocean Room, the Piano Bar restaurant, Ritz Cafe and other function and meeting roo ...
opened;
* 1930s: The pier was rebuilt;
* 13 July 1933: The new Weymouth Pier officially opened; the ceremony was carried out by the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
, soon to become King Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
;
* 1954: The Ritz Theatre Renamed after the war) was destroyed in a fire;
* 1961: A New Pavilion opened;
* 1971-1972 The pier was widened to create a new terminal and a large car park to serve the ferry port and Weymouth Pavilion
* 1993: The Alexandra Gardens Theatre damaged by fire;
* 2007–2011: Redevelopment of the entire peninsula was planned for the 2012 Olympic Games but apart from an observation tower (known as Jurassic Skyline
The Jurassic Skyline tower (known until mid-2015 as the Weymouth Sea Life Tower) was an observation tower on Weymouth Pier in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was situated next to Weymouth Beach and the Weymouth Pavilion, where it overlooked Weym ...
) this did not take place.
See also
* Pavilion Theatre * Pier BandstandExternal links
Weymouth Pavilion Development
{{Jurassic Coast 1812 establishments in England Buildings and structures in Weymouth, Dorset Geography of Weymouth, Dorset Tourist attractions in Weymouth, Dorset Piers in Dorset es:Weymouth Pavilion