History of

Penarth Pier is one of the last remaining Victorian piers in Wales. Building of the pier commenced in 1894 and it was finally opened in February 1895. H.F.Edwards was the engineer. The original structure was of cast iron with a timber deck and acted as a promenade and landing jetty for the then lucrative steam ship trade across the Bristol Channel. A wooden pavilion was added to the pier-head in 1907.

In 1926 the pier was sold to the local council who made further enhancements. A reinforced concrete landing stage was added in 1927\8 and an art deco pavilion in 1929.

On August Bank Holiday Monday 1931 a fire destroyed the shelters and shops, the wooden pavilion and the decking. The girders were also damaged but the landward concert pavilion survived. All 800 people on the pier escaped. The pier was rebuilt at a cost of £3,157, but the wooden pavilion was not replaced.

Gales in May 1947 forced the 7,000 ton ship, 'Port Royal Park', onto the pier, causing severe damage. Repairs costing £28,000, included underpinning of the cast iron columns and the installation of new reinforced concrete columns. The pier re-opened in 1950.

In August 1966, the paddle steamer 'Bristol Queen', operated by the White Funnel line, also collided with the pier in dense fog, again causing serious damage.

Cruises on the White Funnel fleet, owned by the famous Bristol based P & A Cambell Ltd, ceased operating in 1981 and over the years, this trade has dwindled with the commercial shipping companies having now all disappeared. However, two ships, the MV Balmoral and PS Waverley, operated by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, do still provide pleasure cruises calling at the pier, but these are during the summer months only.

A restoration programme was begun in 1994 at a cost of £650,000. This included crucial repairs to the rotting substructure at the pier entrance. Further repairs costing £1.7 million, took place in 1996. This involved work on the steelwork, decking and facilities on the main pier and berthing structure. There was restricted public access during this phase.

The final stage saw the renovation of the rest of the pier with financial assistance totalling £1.1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The formal re-opening of the completely restored 650 foot structure took place in May 1998 and included a Victorian Fayre, concerts and street entertainment.

Following its opening in 1929, the art-deco Pier Pavilion was used as a venue for reviews, concerts and lectures, although it was rarely filled to capacity, particularly in winter months as it lacked proper heating. During its history it has functioned as a cinema, a dance hall, a club and restaurant, a snooker club and a gym hall but its recent history has been one of decay and poor management.

There are now some very encouraging signs that new life may be being breathed back into this beautiful old building. A public funded initiative, was launched in 2008 by Penarth Arts & Crafts Ltd (PACL) to restore this beautiful landmark and create an innovative, flexible and environmentally sound attraction for South Wales.An initial application to the National Heritage Lottery  Fund failed but a second bid from PACL was awarded a grant of £99,600 in November 2009 to develop a detailed plan for the restoration of this iconic example of pier architecture. PACL had also earlier been awarded an HLF grant to uncover the history of the Pavilion during its heyday as the ‘Marina Ballroom’ in the 1940s.

The £3.9m refurbishment scheme involves the restoration and redevelopment of the pavilion for use as a cinema, cafe, observatory and multi-purpose community complex.

Planning permission was granted for the project and a succesful bid to the HLF provided a further £1.68m in May 2011. In October 2011, Penarth Arts and Crafts Ltd received £300,000 Welsh Government funding towards the restoration and refurbishment as part of the Community Facilities and Activities Programme and also in October a further £700,000 was awarded from the latest block of grants from the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) programme.

The gym club run by former Olympic gymnast Gwynedd Lingard which had been using the dilapidated interior of the Pavilion for many years was finally found alternative premises and moved out in October 2011.

The aim is to re-open the pavilion in 2013.

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