Home»Hastings Pier

Hastings pier, beloved of so many, has sadly suffered an undignified milestone in her celebrated life. In the early hours of 5th October 2010, fire swept along her length, reducing her already sad facade to a carcass, resembling the skeletal remains of a dinosaur. Not surprisingly arson is suspected; as I understand it two St. Leonards men, aged 18 and 19 (one of whom was “collared” having been seen jumping from the pier) were arrested, bailed, taken to court, and rebailed, due to reappear at court on 2nd and 1st December respectively. UPDATE - The pair have been rebailed again, and are due back in court on 24th & 25th January. UPDATE - The two men (both now aged 19) have been rebailed again, until 21st February.

The Victorian Pier (designed by Eugenius Birch (1818-84), and opened on 5th August 1872, incidentally Britains first ever Bank Holiday) had been completely closed since 1st November 2006 (the majority of the structure, beyond the apron, having been closed on 12th June 2006) as a result of it having been declared unsafe.

She’s had a long and eventful life, and needless to say the pier is in the blood of generations of Hastingers, me included (we are generally very passionate about the good things in our much maligned and misunderstood town) and I felt an overwhelming compulsion to document what has happened, and is happening since the fire.

I have been very fortunate to gain exclusive access to the contractors, who are working to make the pier safer by removing much of the steel and masonry above the deck level, over the beach, in order that an inspection of the supporting structure can take place.

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