Yarmouth Pier, Isle of Wight. Opened on 19 July 1876. Designed by the firm of Denham and Jenvey, Freshwater, and 685' long ("Yarmouth, Isle of Wight"). Built on timber piers with trellised timber supports and a wooden handrail, it is (according to the sign at the entrance to the pier) the oldest remaining wooden pier in England, and is Grade II listed. As shown above, left, there is a very attractive gated approach with ornamentally lettered ironwork spelling out the town's name (probably part of the larger entrance front which was added later in about 1927), and a small landing stage at the far end, where ferries used to arrive right up into the twentieth century. The little octagonal structure at this end has benches, and now serves as a viewpoint or shelter.
Walking back the length of the pier, one sees three landmarks: on the extreme left, Yarmouth's sixteenth-century castle, mostly hidden by trees; in the middle, the battlemented tower of St James's Church, and to the right, just before the harbour, the George Hotel, extended in the nineteenth-century. It is a pretty town full of interest, and a yachting centre. Had it not been so popular, the pier might never have survived: it has required a huge amount of repair and restoration work over the years. On the wooden slats can be seen the names of those who have sponsored the more recent work.
Photographs and text by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL or cite it in a print document. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Bibliography
Lloyd, David W., and Nikolaus Pevsner. The Buildings of England: Isle of Wight. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006.
"Yarmouth, Isle of Wight." National Piers Society. Web. 1 November 2017.
Yarmouth Pier." British Listed Buildings. Web. 1 November 2017.
Created 1 November 2017