Designed by W.Sutcliffe Marsh, the 835 foot pier opened on May 10th 1898. It had cost £10,000. It was the terminus for the Swansea and Mumbles Railway, the promoter being John Jones Jenkins of the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway.

Amusement Equipment Co. Ltd (AMECO) gained a licence to operate the pier from 1st October 1937, later taking out a lease. They acquired the freehold in 1957.

Sectioned in 1940, the pier was extensively reconstructed in the 1950s, and a landing jetty was added. It officially re-opened on 9th June 1956. A new amusement arcade was built on the pier’s frontage in 1966.

AMECO spent between £25,000 and £30,000 per annum on the maintenance and replacement of the steelwork between 1975 and 1985.The pier was closed on 1st October 1987 but re-opened on Good Friday 1988, after £40,000 had been spent during the winter on renewing steelwork near to the entrance.
A new pavilion was built on the landward end in 1998 and incorporates a bar, restaurant, bowling alley, cafe, nightclub and amusements arcade.

On the north side of the pier, an access bridge extended to an RNLI Lifeboat station. The RNLI operated from the pier on a license basis and had a long association with Mumbles and the pier dating back to 1866. But it was realised that when the next generation of lifeboat came into service in Mumbles in 3 to 4 years, the current facility would no longer be suitable – the new boat would not fit into the existing building and would not be capable of being launched from the current location at low tide. RNLI’s intention was therefore to construct a new lifeboat station to replace the existing facility and the renovation of the Pier was considered to be necessary to secure the long term presence of the RNLI on the site.

However, as the new century dawned, significant weaknesses in the lattice steelwork and hand railings were becoming apparent and some of the side rails and seating areas were virtually rusting away. A large section of the decking at the far end of the pier had to be removed. Restoration work required replacing steel and timber elements from the piles upwards and was estimated to cost in excess of £3m. The pier was not generating sufficient funds to cover the work required and, as a privately owned pier, was not eligible for most public grants.
Most of the funding was therefore proposed to come from AMECO’s ambitious plans to demolish the Pier Hotel and embark on a £39m development project comprising a new hotel, apartments, boardwalks and a family entertainment centre. Funding support was also anticipated from the RNLI and Welsh Assembly grants. The project was supported by a Development Framework document formally approved by Swansea Council. The key theme of this document was the revitalisation of the pier and the redevelopment of the former nightclub building and part of the coastal approach to the Pier. The restoration and redevelopment of the pier was also included as part of the 2007 Swansea Bay Strategy Action Plan.
In June 2010, a public exhibition of the development plans was staged in the pier hotel ballroom and was generally very well received. However, following the submission in September 2010 to Swansea Council for planning approval, opposition began to surface with claims that the new development would spoil the view of Mumbles headland.
In November 2010, the pier owners issued a statement saying that the only way they could afford to restore the Swansea landmark was by developing a hotel and apartments on the foreshore. They said grant funding was not available and it was the “only way” to fund the restoration.
In December 2010, Mr Stanley Bollom, the head of the Bollom family who own the pier, sadly passed away. He had acquired the lease in 1936 along with the Pier Hotel and the famous penny slot attractions.
In March 2011, following worries that the pier might have to close, the owners announced that they would keep the pier open for a further 6 months but that this would exhaust their emergency funds. Then in April 2011, plans for the pier restoration, together with the construction of a new RNLI lifeboat station, were given the green light by Swansea Council. However, this was still dependent on funding from the main headland development. Then in June 2011, Swansea councillors supported the proposal for apartments and a hotel in order to finance the restoration project and in July 2011 the Welsh Assembly Government stated that they would not object to the full scheme. Preliminary work was then able to start in November 2011 and in June 2012 construction of the new Mumbles lifeboat station began.

August 2012 – Barge towed for RNLI station work in Mumbles)
August 2012 saw the arrival of the construction barge towed to the end of the pier to start work on the new £9.5m boathouse and slipway for the Mumbles lifeboat. The boathouse redevelopment would be particularly challenging because of Swansea Bay’s large tidal range.

September 2012 – Agents appointed to attract pier developers
The following month it was announced that the international estate agent, Savills, had been appointed to promote the Mumbles Pier development, a £39 million scheme which would include an apartment block, cafés and retail facilities, a foreshore boardwalk and a new headland hotel. The scheme was essential to fund the refurbishment of the pier.

Oct 2012 – Mumbles Pier damaged by fire
A fire on the pier in October 2012 damaged part of the decking but the main structure was unaffected. The cause of the fire was not thought to be suspicious. The likely cause was thought to be a spark from blowtorch work.

Nov 2012 – Boathouse work suspended after fall
Work was suspended for a time at the end of November 2012 following an injury to one of the contractors who fell from the pier. Work recommenced following a full investigation.

March 2013 – New video of RNLI Construction
In March 2013, a video was released via the local media of the work taking place on the construction of the new boathouse at the end of the pier.

May 2013 – Pier could become cruise destination
Work on the pier continued through Spring and early Summer 2013 and in May 2013 the pier owners, AMECO, confirmed they were looking at having a landing stage that could accommodate passenger craft and even tenders from some of the smaller cruise ships that travel around the UK coast.

May 2013 – Future of new and old lifeboat houses
Mr Bollom, the pier owner, said that his company would take on responsibility for maintaining and converting the old lifeboat boathouse and was looking at plans to create a visitor and exhibition centre in it celebrating the history of the pier and possibly the Mumbles Train once it was decommissioned. The original lifeboat house dates back to 1934 and regularly appears on postcards of Swansea Bay.

MaY 2013 – Funding appeal launched for RNLI boathouse
Also in May, an appeal was launched to raise £136,000 towards the cost of the new lifeboat house operations room, gallery and mechanics workshop

June 2013 – Boathouse funding appeal off to a flying start
In June it was announced that £11,000 had been raised in the first month.

July 2013 – Pier construction barge leaves the pier
The construction barge which had been brought from Holland the previous autumn and had been an essential component in the creation of the new all-weather lifeboat station at the end of Mumbles Pier, finally left in July 2013.The slipway, the boathouse’s internal timber frame and the boathouse crane were now all in place and work was continuing to finish the zinc roof, plumbing and electrical works, and internal walls.

March 2014 – New lifeboat house finally opens
The new boathouse, which is part of a joint regeneration and restoration project for the 113-year-old pier, was finally opened in mid-March 2014.
Construction details of the project were also made available in March.

April 2014 – Pier opens to visitors
In April 2014, for the first time in almost three years, limited numbers of visitors were once again allowed on to the pier so that they could visit the new lifeboat station at the end of the Victorian structure.

July 2014 – Increased Council valuation slows progress on pier development
July 2014 saw the start of discussions to try and overcome obstacles to progress on the project. Although Mumbles Pier owner Ameco had outline planning permission for flats at the foreshore and a hotel or flats scheme for the headland, problems had arisen over the valuation of a small section of foreshore land owned by Swansea Council. A valuation of a six-figure sum by an independent surveyor forced Ameco to reconsider the scheme.

February 2015 – Ameco submits revised design to planners
In February 2015, Ameco submitted a revised planning application to Swansea Council.Ameco said a redesign of the foreshore scheme had become necessary after the unexpected price increase for the cliff face owned by the Council.

July 2015 – Redevelopment scheme hits another problem
In July 2015, a further problem arose as a result of a review of the operations of the Regeneration Investment Fund for Wales (RIFW). This had the effect of suspending all ongoing loans, including that to the Mumbles project.

October 2015 – Opus International Consulting win NPS Peter Mason Award
It was announced in October 2015 that the Fareham branch of Opus International Consultants had won the prestigious Peter Mason Award for Engineering Excellence awarded by the National Piers Society. The award was given for the new lifeboat house and slipway at the head of the pier for the use of the RNLI.

June 2016 – Update on the redevelopment of Mumbles Pier
In June 2016, five years after plans for the much delayed transformation project were approved, further proposals were being submitted, which included changes to a major hotel, 24 residential apartments and a promenade. Pier company chairman, John Bollom, said “It could be a jewel in the crown for Mumbles and Gower. We need a restored pier. Many seaside towns have been in a real crisis over the past 15 years. It’s the history of seaside towns. You have to change what you have, to go forwards and survive.”

July 2016 – Mumbles Pier could reopen for peak holiday season
The pier had been closed since January 2016 to all but the Mumbles lifeboat crew after inspectors spotted a list in the structure following storms. But new walkways were due to be laid imminently and, barring any problems, the pier would be able to open again.

September 2016 – Nansi Mumbles Pier’s grand gorilla in need of a face-lift!
In September 2016, a campaign was started to restore the Mumbles Pier favourite gorilla after she had been blown over in a storm, leaving her broken and face down on the pier.

September 2016 – Art on the Pier at Mumbles!
Also in September, Mumbles Pier owners stepped in to provide new premises next to Basstastic Fishing Supplies for Oriel Bach gallery and community group Mumbles Development Trust after their existing premises was being sold by the owner. Gallery volunteer and photographer Anthony Dyke said “I think all of us have done a U-turn in our thoughts. We thought, ‘Oh no’, but now we all think it is a blessing in disguise. At Dunns Lane there was a problem with getting people up from Mumbles Road. At the pier, especially in the summer, there are far more tourists. It could be good for the gallery.”

April 2017 – New bar and fish and chip shop for Mumbles Pier
April 2017 saw the announcement of the latest project in the first phase in a five year phased programme of re-redevelopment at the pier – a new 1,800 sq ft fish and chip shop and bar to open at the former Cinderella’s night club. The restaurant, which would have the capacity to seat 65 people and also provide a takeaway service, was due to open for the Easter weekend, with the bar opening shortly after.

June 2017 – Ice cream specially for dogs on Mumbles Pier
Mumbles showed that they were a doggy friendly pier when in June 2017 they introduced ice cream made especially for dogs at the pier, emphasising that it was a venue attractive for both four-legged friends and their two-legged owners.

February 2018 – Dramatic new seafront look for Mumbles Pier revealed
A dramatic new look – part of delayed plans to develop the foreshore and headland by Mumbles Pier – was revealed in February 2018. The plans showed images of up to 30 foreshore flats looking out into the bay. The headland building would be five storeys instead of six and would not need cliff-top access. A statement from Ameco, the pier’s owners, confirmed that the developments would finance the restoration of the Victorian-era pier.

April 2018 – Multi-million refurbishment of Mumbles Pier to begin on 1st June!
In April 2018, preparation work for the long-awaited restoration of Mumbles Pier began for a start date of June 1st for the multi-million pound project and completion by the end of the year. The following year, the £3.2 million project would include the installation of additional decking, enlarging the amount of public space near the foreshore.

August 2018 – Mumbles Pier looks rather forlorn as refurbishment work progresses
The work, part of a £3.2m project, saw part of the Swansea Bay landmark demolished, with construction workers previously removing period Victorian features for storage and refurbishment, a job set to be completed by the end of the year.
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September 2018 – A fascinating insight into the painstaking restoration of Mumbles Pier
The listed structure had many period features, but as work proceeded on a £3.2m project which saw part of the Swansea Bay landmark demolished , a number had to be removed. Owners, Ameco, released a video showing how replacement features for the pier were being crafted locally.
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December 2018 – Welsh Government gives Mumbles Pier redevelopment the green light
In December 2018, it was announced that plans to redevelop the Mumbles Pier headland and foreshore would not be called in by the Welsh Government. Ministers intervened before Swansea Council’s planning committee met to determine the £35m scheme last month.
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January 2019 – Time and tide wait for no man at Mumbles Pier redevelopment!
Work on the refurbishment of Mumbles Pier in Swansea was held up when a crane got stuck in the incoming tide. The historic landmark was undergoing a £3.2m restoration to include an upgraded pavilion and boardwalk extending out into the water.
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January 2019 – The story of Cinderella’s nightclub at Mumbles
For generations, Cinderella’s nightclub, housed in a large, unremarkable looking rectangular-shaped building at Mumbles Pier,was the place to go for many young adults in Swansea.
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March 2019 – Mumbles Pier’s Big Apple achieves listing status!
The Big Apple at Mumbles was one of Swansea’s most recognisable landmarks for generations. The Welsh Government’s heritage arm Cadw described it as a “rare and unusual” example of a seaside refreshment kiosk.
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April 2019 – New attractions planned for Mumbles Pier
Under the plans, the old lifeboat station’s familiar cream and red exterior would remain, but the interior would be remodelled to provide a visitor centre, exhibition space and a pop-up restaurant.
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November 2019 – Santa’s grotto for dogs to open at Mumbles Pier!
Our four-legged friends would now join in with the excitement of Christmas as a grotto for dogs opened in Swansea. For the first time ever, it was announced that Mumbles Pier was opening up its grotto especially for dogs and their owners.
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February 2020 – Mumbles Pier gets royal seal of approval!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Mumbles pier and lifeboat station before heading off to sample Swansea’s famous Joe’s ice cream. Along their travels hundreds turned out to line the streets and get a glimpse of the royal couple who were only too happy to wave and speak to those turning out to give them a warm welcome.
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July 2020 – Mumbles Pier owner offers insight into how piers are coping and adapting their operations
Social distancing and the government’s Covid-19 trading guidelines mean normal business has been suspended, but that doesn’t mean it has stopped. Just half of the businesses are open; The Beach Hut Cafe and Copperfish. “We opened our Pier last weekend and weather permitting we are hoping to have a good weekend, or as good as we it can be in the current climate,” said Mr Bollom.
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August 2020 – Restoration work at Mumbles Pier set to resume
It is the second of three phases and is scheduled to be completed before the new 2021 season starts. Owners Bert and Fred Bollom have revealed they hope the revamp will be an opportunity to re-introduce period features such as the ornate kiosks and shelters that once graced the pier deck, subject to backing from Swansea Council’s planning department. It is anticipated that a conversion scheme to transform the iconic former lifeboat house into a restaurant and visitor centre could also begin.
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