Brighton Palace Pier has been through the wars (literally) but at 1,722ft long and acknowledged as the finest pier ever built, we now offer traditional seaside balanced with the excitement and pace of the modern day. Find out here how history has helped us to become who we are today.
The new pier was originally named The Brighton Marine Palace
and was designed by Richard St George Moore (1858 - 1926).
Work started in the Palace Pier in November 1881 however the
enormity of the project wasn't realised and the developers had to request
permission from the government to allow extra time to complete the build.
In 1896 disaster struck as a raging storm washed away the
old Chain Pier causing serious damage to the partly built Palace Pier. The
future of the Palace Pier was in question when The Marine Palace and Pier
company admitted defeat and were looking to liquidate the company however at
the last hour Sir James Howard offered financial help. Intensive building work
continued for three years before the Palace Pier was finally opened in a grand
ceremony on the 20th May 1899.
Maintaining Brighton Palace Pier is a continuous operation which is
managed on a daily basis by a maintenance team called Deck Hands. Painting
Brighton Palace Pier in its entirety takes three months to complete, this task is
executed every year. Divers are employed to survey and maintain the steel
substructure which supports the superstructure. Millions of pounds have been
invested in the maintenance of Brighton Palace Pier over the past decade.
At 1,722 ft long and acknowledged as the finest pier ever
built, Brighton Palace Pier (a Grade 2* listed building) now offers all the swagger
and style of tradition balanced with the pace and excitement of today.
In the last ten years, millions of pounds have been invested into the maintenance and redevelopment of Brighton Palace Pier. In 2006 Brighton Palace Pier shipped two of the most famous thrill rides all the way from Italy. Air Race and The Booster have attracted thrill seekers from around the country. The Booster lets you experience the force of over 3.6G’s in 2.8 seconds, at over 130 feet in the air it rotates you 360 degrees before plunging back towards Brighton Pier.
Now firmly established as a pier of the 21st century with the charm of yester-year combined with modern retailing and entertainment facilities, we continue to preserve the historic structure whilst ensuring we still attract millions of visitors to enjoy the queen of all piers. We have recently embarked on a multi-million pound project to ensure the substructure is preserved and secure as well as taking care of the marine environment by clearing debris from the sea bed so that the marine environment can thrive. Above the deck the latest video games, thrill rides and retail shops ensure that our customers experience the best of seaside entertainment. Our Palm Court Restaurant remains the "Spiritual Home" of fish and chips and is on par with the very best restaurants in Britain. The media revolution has not passed us by with wi-fi access, Twitter, Facebook and website all playing their role in spreading the message that it is still ‘fun all year on Brighton Pier!
