The Eastbourne Pier Company Ltd was formed in 1865. The first pile was driven on April 18th 1866. Lord Edward Cavendish officially opened the pier, designed by Eugenius Birch, on 13th June 1870. However, work on the 1000 foot pier, landing stage, kiosk and windbreak was not finally completed until 1872. A storm washed away the shoreward end on New Year’s Day 1877. It was rebuilt at a higher level.

The first 400-seat theatre was constructed for just £250 at the seaward end in 1888. It was replaced by a 1000-seat theatre, bar, camera obscura and pier office complex in 1899-1901.

A new landing stage was constructed in 1893 and two saloons mid-way along the pier were built in 1901. In 1912, new entrance buildings were added and, in 1925, a 900-seat music pavilion was constructed at the shoreward end. This was used as a ballroom before becoming an amusement arcade.

In 1940, decking was removed for the duration of the war and machine guns were installed in the pier theatre. A new kidney-shaped entrance building was constructed in 1951.
Trust House Forte bought the pier in 1968.

The theatre was destroyed by fire in January 1970. It was rebuilt as a ‘Dixieland’ showbar and was used for discos and cabaret. A £250,000 facelift, in 1985, gave the pier a major new arcade.

Hurricane damage in October 1987 wrecked the landing stage. The Duke of Devonshire opened a new £500,000 entrance building on 15th June 1991.

This attractive pier has many gift shops, bars and restaurants. A charity raft race is held each summer. The pier is illuminated at night and was voted ‘Pier of the Year’ in 1997 by members of the National Piers Society. The refurbished camera obscura was opened to the public in 2003.

A review of the site by English Heritage resulted in the pier being upgraded from Grade II to Grade II* in May 2009.

In June 2009, the pier was put up for sale by its owners, Six Piers Ltd, but in October was taken off the market after a highly successful summer season.

Then in May 2010, a £250,000 redevelopment plan commenced to refurbish the Ocean Suite and reinstate its terrace to give visitors 360-degree sea views. The new Ocean Suite opened in July 2010.

Police officers visited a seller of saucy seaside postcards in September 2012 after a complaint was made by a minister at a local church, presumably unaware of the tradition of this kind of saucy seaside humour. Red faces all round.

In October 2013, a licence application to extend the opening hours of the pier’s Atlantis nightclub was rejected following considerable opposition from within the town.

March 2014 – Pier owner defends maintenance record
In response to a complaint in March 2014 that the pier was in a poor condition, the General Manager,Christos Stylianou, said that millions had been spent on the pier and that, since the pier was privately owned all the works had to be funded from the income generated by the pier. He also blamed the bad weather for slowing down repair work.

July 2014 – Huge fire destroys part of Eastbourne Pier
In July 2014 a huge fire broke out behind wood panelling in the arcade building, leaving just the metal skeleton surviving. Fortunately approximately two thirds of the pier escaped the fire and the pier itself did not appear to have suffered severe structural damage. But the rebuilding of the damaged sections was felt to be a major challenge.

August 2014 – Eastbourne to get £2m after pier damaged by fire
The pier was insured for the damage caused by the fire but in early August 2014, it was reported that the Prime Minister had visited the scene and had promised £2 million to help Eastbourne recover from the effect of the pier fire.

August 2014 – Traders affected by fire can apply for funding
Kiosk and store owners affected by the fire and who were unable to obtain insurance for their premises began making applications for grants from the Eastbourne Pier Benevolent Fund and money set aside by the government in August 2014.

August 2014 – Police await CCTV footage as investigation gathers pace
Throughout August, the police mounted a forensic investigation into the cause of the pier fire. The hard drive of a CCTV system was being rebuilt in an effort to rescue images that might assist in the investigation.

September 2014 – Work resumes this week at fire damaged pier
In September 2014, work resumed on the pier clearing debris and making the area safe after the site had been sealed off for an investigation by police and the Health and Safety Executive following the tragic death of a contractor who fell from the structure.

November 2014 – Crane in place to dismantle burnt-out Blue Room
A giant hydraulic crane was erected on Eastbourne promenade in November 2014 to assist in the dismantling of the burnt out Blue Room, which initially had been a ballroom but had later been converted into an amusement arcade. Some closures were programmed to take place as the work proceeded but the pier was being opened in the evenings.

December 2014 – Dismantling begins of fire-damaged arcade
And the following month, a team of specialists on aerial hoists using cutting equipment began dismantling the remains of the dome-shaped amusement arcade. The demolition work was expected to take eight weeks

January 2015 – Government’s £2m traders’ payout ‘imminent’
In January 2015, Coastal Communities minister Penny Mordaunt said that payment of a £2m grant by the government to help traders after the Eastbourne Pier fire was imminent. Traders had expressed concern regarding the the length of time the money promised by the Prime Minister had taken to be implemented.

April 2015 – Police working to recover fire CCTV footage
Following the recent fire on the pier, CCTV on the pier, which may have filmed the culprits, was badly damaged, but specialist forensic experts were working to retrieve images stored on computer hard drives.

June 2015 – Eastbourne Pier’s funfair plans rejected
In June 2015, a proposal by pier owners, Crown Entertainment Centres, to put waltzers, dodgems, a carousel, helter skelter, bungee trampolines, tea cup ride, a children’s train ride, arcades and stalls on the decked area of the pier was rejected by town council planners who were concerned at noise and hours of operation and felt it would have an adverse impact on the attraction.

August 2015 – Buyers interested in purchasing pier
Just a year after it was badly damaged by a fire, two potential buyers were reported to have expressed an interest in purchasing Eastbourne Pier. Two months previously, Cuerden Leisure’s proposals to install temporary children’s rides on the pier had been rejected by Eastbourne Borough Council. The company would not comment on the possible sale.

August 2015 – Hotelier interested in buying Eastbourne Pier
However, later in the month, it was revealed that Sheikh-Abid Gulzar, who owned the Mansion and Albany hotels along Eastbourne seafront, had met with the pier’s owners to discuss the possibility of the purchase.

January 2016 – Eastbourne Pier’s new owner featured in BBC TV film
The BBC produced a 30 minute programme on Eastbourne Pier in January 2016. A film crew followed Sheik Abid-Gulzar around Eastbourne and Hailsham over a 10-day period. Mr Gulzar expressed satisfaction with progress made to date, despite the cold weather, and was very optimistic for the summer months.

January 2016 – Eastbourne MP states that £2 million was never intended for the Pier
In January 2016, Eastbourne’s MP reiterated that the £2M pier fire grant announced by the Prime Minister during his visit to Eastbourne in the autumn of 2014, had never been specifically allocated for the pier itself, the rebuilding of which was due to be covered by the insurance monies. A list of eight schemes had been shortlisted from an original thirty and these would be going ahead in due course.

March 2016 – End of the line for Eastbourne Pier fishing
March 2016 saw the decision to close the fishing jetty at the end of Eastbourne Pier, much to the disappointment of anglers. The pier’s new owner, Abid Gulzar, announced he would be closing the jetty, and not renewing the lease on the popular fishing tackle shop, due to health and safety fears.

March 2016 – Eastbourne Pier to celebrate 150th birthday
In March 2016, Eastbourne Pier announced its plans to celebrate its 150th anniversary with a special exhibition held at the Eastbourne Heritage Centre detailing its long history. The exhibition would include photos and documents from Eastbourne Pier’s past including a rare set of original architect’s drawings.

April 2016 – Centenarians help celebrate pier’s 150th birthday
And the following month, hundreds of people, including three centenarians, turned out for the 150th birthday event to witness the ribbon and cake cutting from the trio, plus enjoy free entertainment and free drinks for the whole family.

April 2016 – Casino plan for Eastbourne Pier
Also in April 2016, new Eastbourne Pier owner Abid Gulzar reveled plans to have a casino on the pier, and was in discussions with local council leaders about his plans.

May 2016 – Sorry state of Eastbourne Pier Theatre revealed
In May 2016, the disused former theatre site on the pier was described by the new owner, Abid Gulzar, as being in a “shocking state of disrepair”, a situation for which he was critical of previous owners of the pier. Mr Gulzar said that the Pavilion Theatre had received no attention since it was damaged by fire in 1970 and was now in an unusable state.

June 2016 – Arcade games return to Eastbourne Pier
In June 2016, it was announced that the owner of Eastbourne Pier, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, was introducing new games and attractions on the pier in an effort to attract more young people with their families. Further arcade machines were also on the way.

June 2016 – Dogs and cyclists banned from Eastbourne Pier
Later in June, the pier banned cyclists and dogs, and people bringing on food or drinks purchased elsewhere. Pier owner, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, said that there had been problems with owners not picking up their dog’s mess and with dogs running out of control frightening and causing a hazard to visitors. Speeding cyclists were also causing problems.

June 2016 – Shortlisted designs for sculpture to commemorate Eastbourne Pier fire go on display
Also in June, four models were selected from entries to Eastbourne Borough Council’s competition to create a piece of public art marking the community’s overwhelming support for the pier after the 2014 fire.

June 2016 – Restoration work begins on Eastbourne Pier’s Camera Obscura
June also saw the commencement of major works to repair the hugely popular Camera Obscura on Eastbourne Pier. The device was carefully restored in 2003 but the access stairway no longer met current standards. Improvemnst were also planned to the camera itself. The £65,000 repair cost was being met from the £2 million fund donated to Eastbourne after the devastating fire on the pier in 2014.

July 2016 – Planning permission sought to turn Eastbourne Pier gold!
The following month, Historic England and the local council ordered Pier owner, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, to stop all work on it after he painted its cupola gold without permission. However, Mr Gulzar was unapologetic saying “For me it is a project of the heart. It was the most neglected pier in Britain but there has been a lot of work carried out. I am looking for the next generation to enjoy it. I am not scared to think outside the box. I’m not charging people. They are coming onto my investment free of charge.”

August 2016 – Design for sculpture paying tribute to Eastbourne Pier fire is revealed
In August 2016, it was announced that a twisting flame to be made from steel and damaged two pence coins reclaimed from Eastbourne Pier fire had been chosen as the dramatic design for a new seafront sculpture.

September 2016 – Pensioners invited for a free afternoon tea at Eastbourne Pier
In September 2016, as part of Older People’s Day 2016, the owner of Eastbourne Pier invited 50 older people from across Sussex worthy of special recognition for the work they have done to a celebration afternoon tea.

September 2016 – Eastbourne Pier has the golden touch!
Also in September, following a meeting between the pier owner, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, officials from the council and Historic England to discuss the application to retain the gold paint on parts of the pier, the council’s planning officers recommended that the application be allowed provided no further parts of the pier were painted gold until consent had been given.

October 2016 – Search for Roman villa begins on Eastbourne seafront
In October 2016, an archaeological dig for a Roman villa on Eastbourne seafront got underway adjacent to Eastbourne Pier. The Heritage Eastbourne team said they believed the villa might rival the famed Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex.

November 2016 – Major repairs needed for Eastbourne Pier’s Camera Obscura
In June 2016, repairs were undertaken to the staircase leading up to the camera obscura on Eastbourne Pier, but in November 2016 it was established that the camera itself was in need of major repairs. Pier owner Abid Gulzar said that he hoped repairs would be completed in 2017 but that the cost of the work had to be balanced against other priorities on the pier.

March 2017 – Pier owner’s latest painting plans
In March 2017, Eastbourne Pier owner, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, applied for planning permission to paint the remaining two domes in the middle of the pier gold to match the existing 13 domes. Permission was also sought to paint the flat roof on the entrance mall with a neutral white weather proof sealant paint.

April 2017 – Art carved from reclaimed decking after Eastbourne Pier blaze
In April 2017, the Eastbourne Herald ran a story about artists, Jon and Hannah Hammond, who had created artwork and keepsakes from the last original remains of Eastbourne Pier’s Victorian decking to preserve its history, after the fire of 2014. The wood, Ekki, an exotic ironwood, is regarded as being “uncarvable”, but not apparently for the Hammonds.

December 2017 – Plans for new pier kiosks at Eastbourne Pier
In December 2017, pier owner, Mr Gulzar, said if his proposed new kiosks were given the go ahead, he was not yet sure what would go in them but it was likely to be more amusement arcades.

January 2018 – Prize winning beach hut installed at Eastbourne Pier!
London-based architectural practice and consultancy JaK Studio designed the new structure, called Spy Glass, as part of an international design competition celebrating the classic beach hut.

March 2018 – Plans for Eastbourne Pier buildings look set to be rejected
While Eastbourne council and Historic England had no objections to the buildings themselves, it was the white UPVC materials that had become a sticking point and planners were recommending the application be turned down at the next meeting meeting of Eastbourne council.

March 2018 – New buildings on Eastbourne Pier approved!
However, later in the month, the new buildings were approved by the council. Two of those would be kiosks to replace the retail shops lost in the blaze and the other two would be on the open deck area and similar to the existing Victorian tea rooms.

May 2018 – Eastbourne Pier’s Atlantis nightclub to reopen?
In May 2018, the owner of Eastbourne Pier, Abid Gulzar, revealed he was thinking of reopening the Atlantis nightclub following a massive public response when it had been announced in March he was closing it.

June 2019 – Eastbourne Pier fire sculpture still plans to go ahead
It was due to take pride of place in 2016 but the sculpture had still not been made and no location found for it. An initial plan to install it in the main section of the carpet gardens appeared to have been ruled out and other sites are now being considered.
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July 2019 – Five year anniversary of Eastbourne Pier fire
A look-back at some of the harrowing pictures from the fire which destroyed Eastbourne Pier’s amusement arcade.
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August 2019 – Tours of Eastbourne Pier’s camera obscura this weekend!
There was an opportunity to see Eastbourne’s famous Camera Obscura once again during all four days of Airbourne during the week. A tour was scheduled every 20 minutes starting at 9am with the last one at 10.40am, to start at the bottom of the steps by the Ocean Suite towards the end of Eastbourne Pier.

October 2019 – Fishing returns to Eastbourne Pier
Fishing on Eastbourne Pier restarted after the decision was made to bring the sport back by the famous landmark’s owner. Pier owner Abid Gulzar lifted fishing restrictions after a three year ban, and the new owners of Eastbourne Fishing shop, situated at the end of the pier, welcomed customers.
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November 2019 – Eastbourne Pier closed after hotel fire
The former owner of the fire-damaged Claremont Hotel and Eastbourne Pier boss Abid Gulzar admitted he cried when he saw the building alight. But Mr Gulzar said he was now concerned he may be unable to reopen the pier and did not know how much longer it would have to remain closed.

December 2019 – Eastbourne Pier reopens 10 days after hotel fire
An Eastbourne Borough Council spokesman said: “While the main cordon around the Claremont Hotel remains in place with a section of the seafront road closed, access to the pier has been reopened.” Demolition is planned for the hotel soon.
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August 2020 – Eastbourne Pier stars in new film
In August 2020, Eastbourne Pier turned film star for a three-hour shoot for the forthcoming movie Vindication Swim. The film’s director said “the pier is a fantastic period-looking pier. The film is set in Brighton, but the pier there is a bit too modern. We wanted something set in the early 1900s, and Eastbourne Pier looked perfect for that.”
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August 2020 – Eastbourne Pier remains closed
Owner Abid Gulzar told The Herald it was ‘too early’ to reopen the landmark, despite the easing of lockdown measures. During its closure, four new commercial units were scheduled to be built on the site. A spokesperson for Eastbourne Pier said, “In the absence of clear and firm guidance from central or local government, we feel it is in the best interests to keep the pier closed for the time being.
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