Herne Bay Pier
Herne Bay Pier landing stage in 2006 | |
| Type | Passenger steamer landing stage; tourist attraction |
|---|---|
| Carries | Steamer passengers; tram; pedestrians |
| Locale | East Kent |
| Official name | Herne Bay Pier |
| Owner | 1899−1909 Herne Bay Pavilion Pier and Promenade Co 1909−1974 Herne Bay UDC 1974− Canterbury City Council |
| Toll | 2d (1899) → 1s 6d (1968) |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 3,787 feet (1,154 m) |
| History | |
| Constructor | Head Wrightson & Co of Thornaby-on-Tees |
| Opening date | Easter 1899 |
| Closure date | 11 January 1978 |
| Coordinates | 51°22′20″N 1°07′14″E / 51.37222°N 1.12056°E |
Herne Bay Pier was the third pier to be built at Herne Bay, Kent for passenger steamers. It was notable for its exceptional length of 3,787 feet (1,154 m) and made famous after appearing in the opening sequence of Ken Russell's first feature film French Dressing. Herne Bay Pier suffered extensive damage in a 1978 storm, leading to much of it being dismantled in 1980, leaving only a pier-stub at the landward end, and part of the landing stage isolated at sea. The two previous piers built on the same location included a wooden deep-sea pier designed by Thomas Rhodes, assistant of Thomas Telford, and a second shorter iron version by Wilkinson & Smith.