The first pier opened in 1832. It was 3633 feet long and had cost £50,000. Designed officially by Thomas Telford, much of the work is credited to local carpenter Thomas Rhodes. A baggage line was added, and a sail-powered car made its maiden run on June 13th 1833.

London steamers ceased in 1862, and damage caused by toredo worm and winter storms led to closure. The pier was sold for scrap in 1871.

A new 320 foot wood and iron pier opened on August 27th 1873 to the design of Messrs. Wilkinson and Smith. It had cost £2,000. A theatre was added in 1884.

Work on extending the pier began in 1896, to plans by E.Mattheson. After a virtual rebuild (completed in 1899), Herne Bay’s ‘third’ pier measured 3787 feet. An electric tramway (used during construction work) was retained.

Herne Bay Urban District Council purchased the pier in 1909, and a Grand Pavilion opened in 1910 on a widened entrance.

World War One ended steamer services and the old tramcars were used as shelters. After the war, steamer and tram services resumed, with petrol-engine vehicles entering service on August Bank Holiday 1925. These were replaced by a battery car in 1935.

The theatre, which had been part of the second pier, had been destroyed by fire in 1928.

Trams ran for the last time on 3rd November 1939. The pier was sectioned as defence measure, but was repaired after the war. Floods in 1953 damaged the pier.

In 1968, an insurance survey found some of the supports in a critical condition, forcing closure of all except the shoreward end. The Grand Pavilion burned down in 1970.

A £900,000 sports pavilion was built and was opened on September 5th 1976 by the Rt.Hon. Edward Heath.

On 11th January 1978, storms destroyed the main neck, leaving only a short section intact. The pier-head still remains isolated out at sea.

In spring 2009 Canterbury City Council agreed to the formation of the Herne Bay Pier Trust, the main objective of which is the preservation, renovation, reconstruction and enhancement of Herne Bay Pier. Canterbury City Council does not have the funding for such a project, so it is up to independent and possibly European Funding to see this beautiful example of Victorian engineering brought back to its original glory.

Herne Bay Pier was also unusual in that the Pavilion housed the Pier Sports Centre which offered gym, dance and sports facilities and boasted a roller skating rink which, besides providing facilities for individuals and families, was the home of some of the best roller hockey teams in the country. The Pavilion was condemned in September 2010.

In February 2011, the Herne Bay Pier Trust revelaed plans to light up the old pier head using solar panels and lighting posts.
And in March 2011, the pier participated in the Party on the Pier national event starting British Tourism Week with a celebration of 100 years of roller-skating in the town featuring free skating, displays and a roller-disco. Then in April 2011, The Pier Trust opened a gallery on the seafront to promote their work.

Early 2012 saw tensions arise between the Herne Bay Pier Trust and the local council regarding both the management of the pier following the demolition of the existing pavilion and also the Trust’s plans for a new pavilion. Amid concerns that the Trust lacked the capability to stage events through the Summer period, the council increased the funding for their events team to organise things, whilst the Trust responded by putting an experienced local musician to lead their entertainment plans.

Demolition of the old pavilion was scheduled for completion by April 2012 at a cost of £750,000 and the pier was re-opened to the public in June 2012 with 2000 people attending the ceremony. The Herne Bay Pier Trust announced their plans to reclaim the pier for the people of Herne Bay. They proposed to take over the management and eventually lease or buy the pier from Canterbury City Council, raising investment for new facilities, attracting visitors and creating jobs for residents.

Then, in Novemeber 2012, the Trust revealed an ambitious plan to create a marina with 275 berths around the old pier head. It would be far enough out to sea to offer continuous berthing and would not be affected by tides. The marina would be reached by a road running along the rebuilt pier with parking for 150 cars at the end. In the short term, the Trust would create a beach hut village and restaurant on the existing platform and promote the pier for weddings.

However, by December 2012, it was revealed that the Trust’s chairman and vice-chairman had both stepped down and misgivings were beginning to surface over the £70million marina scheme, with Canterbury Council expressing doubts about the ability of the Trust to manage the pier. Also in December 2012, the Council’s engineers reported that a structural survey had found the pier to be in urgent need of major repairs with a probable cost of over £200,000.

Then in January 2013, it was revealed that a proposed £7.50 entrance charge to the pier (which was never implemented), plus a range of other charges, were included in the ambitious marina plans, to the consternation of the Chair of the Herne Bay Trust. Also in January, a smuggler-themed crazy golf course on the pier looked set to be given the go-ahead by the local council. By April, disagreements over the future of the pier had escalated, with Pier Trust bosses publicly distancing themselves from the group backing the marina scheme, and the resignation from the Trust of the chair of that group.

July 2013 – Sandi Toksvig opens Herne Bay pier’s beach hut village
However, the Pier Trust pressed ahead with their plans for a beach hut village on the pier and in July 2013 it was officially opened by television celebrity Sandi Toksvig. The new businesses making up the village included a vintage tea room, a jewellery store, huts selling fresh strawberries and cream, artwork and old-fashioned sweets, plus a hut available for community use which on the opening weekend was occupied by the Kent Roller Girls.

January 2014 – Lease decision could end hopes of rebuilding Herne Bay pier
January 2014 brought freh worries for Herne Bay Pier Trust when it became clear that council officials had still not announced who had won the lease for the tarmac area of the pier. The Trust feared its hopes of rebuilding the pier would be lost if a commercial firm was allowed to take over the platform.

March 2014 – Trust secures 20 year lease for Herne Bay Pier
But in March 2014, it was confirmed that the Trust had won the 20 year lease for the platform at the end of the pier. The Trust then announced its plans for more business huts of various sizes with a large tea room and proposals for entertainment to include performances, markets, and possibly an ice skating rink before Christmas.

August 2014 – Architect’s designs to give pier new lease of life
In August 2014, architect Tim Sanderson, who grew up in Herne Bay, produced some exciting designs for the pier, with fountains, beach huts and a high-class restaurant plus a new pavilion with views of a landscaped community square.

October 2014 – Pier Trust petitions government for cash boost
The Pier Trust posted a petition on the Downing Street website in October 2014 appealing for a share of the Coastal Communities Fund to help them restore the pier and provide more huts for use by local businesses.

November 2014 – Pier secures funding in TV victory
And in November 2014, the Pier Trust won a £50,000 Big Lottery Fund grant in The People’s Millions. The funds will help the local project to regenerate the pier and help to use the community space on the pier for activities for all ages including music and dance.

April 2015 – Security stepped-up at Herne Bay Pier as vandals cause havoc
Incidents in the spring of 2015 in which tables were thrown around and windows smashed caused the pier management to increase security. The Herne Bay Pier Trust, which runs and maintains the pier, does so only on donations through fundraising. Any damage to the pier sets the funding and the volunteers’ hard work back.

May 2015 – Herne Bay opens world’s first pier recording studio
May 2015 saw the opening of a £4,000 recording studio in one of the larger retail huts towards the end of the pier. Music Studio on the Pier was the brain child of Grammy nominated artist and local man Kris Searle and musician and music producer Carl Crane who said their new venture “will offer a space for people interested in creative recording projects, with a focus on singing.”

July 2015 – Pier launches ‘Bay Factor’ competition
Starting with the first heat on July 25th, the Bay Factor pitted musicians from across the area against one another in four heats on the pier, with the winners to be chosen by a panel of judges, and members of the public.

September 2015 – Council unwilling to take action regarding abandoned pier-head
In September 2015, following video footage from a drone revealing the very poor condition of the pier’s isolated head, Canterbury Council stated that demolishing or removing the structure would prove too costly and no action was currently planned.

May 2016 – Herne Bay Pier receives almost £50,000 Coastal Revival Funding
It was announced in May 2016 that almost £50,000 coastal revival funding had been awarded to the pier. The money would be used to build a new stage and canopy on the pier to enable theatrical performances and live music.

June 2016 – Businesses on Herne Bay Pier broken into
In June 2016, all 32 huts on the pier’s retail village were found to have been broken into, leaving business owners shocked at the damage caused. Town councillor and Herne Bay Pier Trust member, Andrew Cook, said: “They have come in tooled up with crowbars and they have blasted into everything. For the amount of money taken, this is the lowest of the low. These are all small, private businesses and they have had a severe kicking for no good reason whatsoever.” Police were investigating the break in.

September 2018 – Plans for £4 million extension of Herne Bay Pier revealed!
In September, the first stage of long-term plans to attach the landmark to its abandoned head, which was cut off after storms caused severe damage in the late 1970s, were revealed.
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March 2019 – Herne Bay Pier damaged in storms
The pier faced a repair bill of almost £15,000 following the weekend’s storms. As gusts of 65mph battered the coast, several windbreak panels and the merry-go-round were swept up in the winds.
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May 2019 – Extension plans revealed for Herne Bay Pier!
Ambitious multi-million-pound plans to extend Herne Bay Pier beyond Neptune’s Arm were revealed. The trust that runs the seaside landmark was hoping to receive financial backing to build another platform, which could house a music venue or “fantastic restaurant”.
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September 2019 – Fears over the safety of Herne Bay Pier head
Shocking pictures revealing the derelict state of Herne Bay’s iconic pier head sparked fears it may “not make it through the winter”. The roof of the dome, which sits atop the structure, was leaning to one side and appeared to be propped up by a single piece of timber.
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March 2020 – Could Herne Bay Pier ever be reconnected to its pier head?
Canterbury City Council, who look after the pier’s head said “The steel substructure of the central and southern section, which supports the timber decking and iconic dome, appears to be in a reasonable condition with a level of corrosion and deterioration you would expect for a maritime structure of its age with no routine maintenance. The dome itself is deteriorating. Our coastal engineers have been looking at the best way to prolong its life and have come up with a design they think will work”.
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Latest Entry

April 2020 – Herne Bay Pier features in ITV comedy Kate and Koji
The series was filmed relatively recently in the picturesque coastal town of Herne Bay in Kent in January 2020. It has many of the attributes we’ve come to know and love about seaside towns around the UK, from pastel-coloured beach huts along the sand to arcades, fish and chip shops and an impressive pier.
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