To many people, Brighton’s West Pier probably looks like a ruin; a sad and sorry-looking reminder of a bygone age. However, it’s by far my favourite pier in the world, and I’ve visited some in California, Florida and a fair few of the UK’s seaside resorts. Here I’ll try to explain why I have a crazy passion for this 150 year old ruin!
Secrets of Brighton’s West Pier
Brighton’s West Pier is iconic and mysterious, having been devastated by fire and the crashing waves of the English Channel which have washed most of it away. Here are some of my favourite photos of the pier, which were taken over a period of more than 20 years. They demonstrate how the structure has changed over time and where the best spots are to see this classic seaside landmark.
Brighton’s West Pier was first erected in 1866 and the final building was completed in 1916. There are so many angles and other structures to frame the remaining cast ironwork and provide lovely images.
It may not be accepting visitors these days, but there is something beautiful, eerie and iconic about the West Pier’s decayed ruins which stand defiant, in the English Channel.
I’m a massive fan of Brighton, having lived in Hove for a few years and worked in the city for over 20 years. What’s more, I’m so grateful that I’ve actually walked on the pier, and taken a peek into the secrets within, learning about its history before the various disasters which claimed most of the structure, leaving what we see now.
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The West Pier before the fire
Here is what the pier looked like in 2000. Having fallen into a derelict state, it was cordoned off from the general public but the two main buildings were still intact.
From the mid 90s I worked in West Street and as chief organiser of sports & social events I arranged various trips for my colleagues. We went on ghost tours, theatre tours, quiz adventures and, in this case, a nose around a derelict local landmark! On a dull, grey spring morning we were treated to breakfast in the Grand Hotel followed by a tour of the pier. These were run by the West Pier Trust, starting on the prom at the trust’s HQ, and moving down underneath where many reclaimed parts of the pier were stored, with a view to using them for a restoration.
Equipped with hard hats, a volunteer took us across the walkway onto the pier itself. A lottery grant had provided the walkway, not only for the tours which raised much-needed cash for the restoration, but also for a team to make essential repairs to keep the pier as safe as possible. At the time it was hoped that if enough money was raised that the pier could be restored to its former glory.
Much of the pier was covered in seagull poo, and ravaged by the weather and waves. This view of the concert hall from the far pavilion shows the holes in the roof, broken windows and general disrepair.
Inside the West Pier had once been an amusement arcade, Laughterland, some of which was still visible amongst the seagull excrement!
I feel so privileged to have walked on the pier, even though it was way past its best. It was closed to the public in 1975 having become too dangerous.
The West Pier trust continued to offer tours and raised money towards the restoration project. Chris Eubank was a major supporter, and even offered to pay for the work himself.
However, in March 2003 disaster struck. We saw wisps of smoke from our 7th floor desks in West Street and one of my colleagues found a seafront webcam online which broadcasted the smoke and fire on the pier. It was devastating to watch it go up in flames before our eyes and you can see photos of the fire in this news report.
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The cause was never found, with stories ranging from a suspicious speedboat in the area to spontaneous combustion of the bird poo! What is really odd is that there was another fire two months later, leaving the concert hall half collapsed in the sea. The timing couldn’t have been worse, with the promised lottery funding withdrawn as a result, cancelling the planned restoration due to start later that year.
When I moved back to Bognor I drove into Brighton every day and would park on the seafront and walk along the lower prom to work, which made a lovely start to the day!
Sad as it is, the derelict ruins which we now see are so iconic, and can look beautiful at sunset.
The Passacaglia sculpture, by Charles Hadcock, is made from cast iron and stands 3 metres high. When I took this photo in the mid 2000s it framed the remains of the pier beautifully. The concert hall section, on the right, was removed in 2010 as it was so dangerous.
Fast forward to 2018, and you can’t avoid images of the West Pier around the city, whether on postcards, photographs, paintings and t-shirts. It is captured in mural form on the hoardings at the end of North Street by street artist Glimmertwin 32, aka Sean Lyons.
Now that the i360 is open, it seems that a new West Pier construction could be built in due course. The i360 is well worth a visit, and the views are spectatular, particularly on a clear, sunny day.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about the history of Brighton’s West Pier.
If you are visiting the area then you may enjoy more of my posts about Brighton :
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Piers make for such great photos don’t they? Fascinating article.
Yes they do! I am somewhat obsessed…
Great post Ali x
Thank you Suzy! x
As a child I was often brought to Sussex on day trips in the 1950s and one odf my fodest memories is od dancing around ,on my own in the ballroom of West Pier(my family outsde chatting)and also the scary but fun automata machines fascinated me too..Love the photos.Im not far away in Lewes so I often see the ruins of the pier,still makes me sad.
I am a local photographer and was born at Brighton General in 1956!
I had taken the full length and sectional pictures of the old West Pier from a distance and standing on the beach and this was before she was firstly beaten in a bad Storm and then the Fire with had Raged it when I was living in the Mid West of the USA and the twin cities of Minnesota being St. Paul and Minneapolis as I’m a Cabinet maker and had travelled for Work experience!
So Yeah I have Colour pictures of the Pier and had a request from a local person a few years ago for some prints of her!
Oh wow, I’d love to see those photos. Such a lovely pier…
i am working on a school project for the end of summer, is there any chance you could somehow post them or send them?
I was born in Brighton in 1938 and will always remember the piers. The “West” I always thought was the classiest and the best. During WWll, the centre spans of both piers were removed because of use as invasion landin facilities but were restored at the end of hostilities. I recall the old Paddle Steamer “Glengower” picking up passengers for Channel trips from the decking at the sea end of the pier. Concert music in the pavilion was popular.
Thank you for your remarks above
I would like to read “fresh eyes on pier fires” re west pier and what is really happened. Some reference to Tortoise Media as publisher but that was as far as I could get. I no longer live in easy reach of Brighton.
i am working on a school project for the end of summer, is there any chance you could somehow post them or send them?
Hi, you’re welcome to download them from the website and use them in your project 🙂 Contact me by email if you need anything else (use my Contact page for details)
I loved the west pier too but it was to long left they should have let Chris Eubank buy it it was by far the best seaside pier ever I cried when it caught fire I live in devon and 63 years old always went to see it a lot in the 80s ithink we now who done for the old girl
I agree, should have let Eubank buy it and restore it while they could!
Muchas gracias por tomarte el tiempo de explicar tan bien y compartir la historia de este lindo sitio. Soy de México y quisiera conocerlo! Saludos!