History of
Llandudno Pier
Originally, St. George's Jetty was constructed here in 1857 as
part of a harbour scheme but it was damaged by a storm and
demolished in 1876.
Work on the present structure
began in June 1876, to the design of James Brunlees. The 1234 foot
pier opened in August 1877. A bandstand at the seaward end was
constructed in 1877, but the opening of a shoreward end pavilion
was delayed until 1884. It incorporated the swimming pool that had
opened the previous year. The extension past the Grand Hotel to
the promenade was also completed in 1884 taking the total length
to 2295 feet.
A landing stage was built in
1891 and reinforced in 1904. In 1905, a pier-head pavilion was
built. In 1907, the pier was damaged by a ship. Major alterations
were made to the pier and landing stage in 1938. Trust House Forte
became owners in 1968, and the present steel/concrete landing
stage was built in 1969.
£70,000 was spent on repairs
in 1984/5. The shoreward end pavilion, which had been empty since
1990, was severely damaged by fire on 13th February 1994 and has
since been demolished.
In July 2011, Conwy Council endorsed a
study within the 'Destination Conwy' development plan to
to look at repairing and re-instating Llandudno Pier’s docking
facility to be able to handle 700-passenger pleasure cruise ships as well as
the Waverley and Balmoral vessels, Isle of Man boats or coastal cruises.
Throughout 2011 and early 2012, discussion
focussed on the potential redevelopment of the derelict pier pavilion site, with plans
put forward for a 200-bedroom hotel. Although there was general support for a
scheme to reclaim the eyesore that the site had become, there was also concern that
any new building design was appropriate to its surroundings.
The Pier continues to open
almost every day of the year. It is the longest pier in Wales and
is unusual in having two separate entrances. A range of
attractions are available along the pier including gift shops ,
fairground rides , a children’s area, plus food and drink outlets.
A scheme in which benches and plaques can be purchased now
operates.
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