Work on the pier commenced in 1860 and it opened on 1st June 1861. From 1866, a line of the Landport & Southsea Tramway ran right to the pier. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) opened the pavilion in August 1882 and, in 1905, a concrete extension was built to accommodate increasing boat traffic. In 1932 a new cafe, sundeck and concourse hall were built along with shops on the front.
Bombing destroyed the pier on 10th January 1941 but in 1953 the first pile of the reconstructed, lower structure was driven. Six years later, rebuilding of the superstructure began to the design of Messrs A.E.Cogswell & Sons in association with Portsmouth architects R.Lewis Reynish. This was set to cost an estimated £250,000. Mouchel & Partners of London designed the deck and landing stage.
Clarence Pier, featuring a 60 foot steel-framed tower, re-opened on 1st June 1961. The pier is unusual in being a lot wider than its length. Facilities included indoor complexes (such as Pirate Pete’s Adventure Playground, arcades, and ten-pin bowling), and outdoor fairground attractions including a roller coaster, big wheel and a monster express train. There were also various fast-food outlets, and an ice-cream parlour. These have been added to and updated over the years and the pier remains an extremely popular attraction, having been billed as ‘the largest amusement complex on the south coast’.

April 2015 – Vintage ‘Laughing Sailor’ amusement machine returns to Clarence Pier
The previous laughing sailor was built in the 1940s and after many years of service was put into storage. He made his first appearance at Clarence Pier in 1961. Clarence Pier director Jimmy Norman found the new Laughing Sailor on a Facebook site specialising in amusements.

November 2015 – ‘Solent Eye’ planned for Clarence Pier!
A plan to construct a 110ft-high ferris wheel for Clarence Pier at a cost of £750,000 was revealed in November 2015. The structure would be called the Solent Eye, and it was hoped to have it in place by Easter 2016.

March 2016 – Clarence Pier has now been given permission to set up the ‘Solent Wheel’
In March 2016, Clarence Pier was given permission for the ‘Solent Wheel’ attraction. The large ferris wheel previously called Solent Eye would be constructed by Italian firm Technical Park in time for the 2016 Easter season at an estimated cost of £750,000.

October 2016 – ‘Solent Wheel’ removed from Southsea Clarence Pier
But the wheel proved not to be a permanent addition and in October 2016 work started to dismantle it because of fears large flocks of geese due to arrive from Russia to spend the winter on nearby mudflats might fly into it.

April 2018 – Wonderful look-back at Southsea Clarence Pier through the ages!
In April 2018, The Portsmouth News website carried a fascinating series of images of the history of Clarence Pier from its opening in 1871, thanks to the fantastic postcard archives of Barry Cox and Robert James.

April 2019 – New rides unveiled at Southsea Clarence Pier
Bosses at Clarence Pier unveiled Mad Mouse and Tidal Wave – two new rides they hoped would draw in the crowds during their current open season.
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May 2020 – Some great photos in this extensive look-back at Southsea Clarence Pier
Some of the photos go as far back as 1860 and feature the popular funfair rides, as well as people taking a stroll along the pier. The photos show how the pier changed over the course of about 100 years, between the mid 19th and 20th centuries.
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August 2020 – Solent Wheel to have its last spin at Southsea Clarence Pier
On Sunday, September 27, the Solent Wheel performed its last revolution before moving to a new home. Since its installation in 2016 the wheel carried tens of thousands of local residents and tourists to heights 35 metres above the promenade to enjoy views of Portsmouth and Southsea and out across the harbour and Solent.
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January 2023 – Southsea Clarence Pier’s soft play makes way for a new attraction
A statement said: ‘Our indoor play area will be closing its doors for the final time at the end of the year to make way for an exciting new attraction’. The soft play facility had been part of the pier’s entertainment for 37 years.
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January 2023 – Southsea Clarence Pier at the heart of Portsmouth’s new transport hub?
January saw an announcement that a redeveloped hovercraft terminal would be the centrepiece of a new transport project although bus provision and increased sustainable transport options would also form part of the scheme.
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February 2023 – Southsea Clarence Pier goes topsy-turvy!
In February, the popular seaside destination confirmed that a new attraction would be opening its upside-down doors on March 4, just in time for the beginning of the season. The upside-down house would be the latest ‘must-see’ at Clarence Pier, and it was set to be a photo opportunity for all of the family looking for something different to do.
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August 2023 – New indoor crazy golf attraction opens at Southsea Clarence Pier
The Putt Hutt opened on August 5, with 18 holes, including 9 traditional golf challenges and 9 retro seaside-themed areas.
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October 2023 – A look-back at Southsea’s two piers
In October, The Portsmouth News published a photo gallery including the fires, bandstands being re-positioned, steamboats at the end of the piers and the beauty contests held on the piers. Both piers have been transformed and rebuilt over the years.
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January 2024 – Southsea Clarence Pier – A gallery of historical photographs
In January, the Portsmouth News published six pages of vintage photographs from the locality of Clarence Pier and its surrounding seafront. The date range spans most of the 20th century, leading to some profound comparisons between scenes where frilly Victorian ornamentation prevail, and those where early evidence of Modernism can be detected. During the NPS’ 2022 AGM visit to Southsea, it could be seen that the balance between these two opposing characters arguably remained healthy.
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December 2024 – Southsea Clarence Pier – Flooding Concerns
The owner of Clarence Pier expressed concerns that the pier had not been protected in the ongoing flood defence works in Southsea. Such works generally include a system of earth bunds, flood gates and concrete walls and are foremost installed to protect housing from flooding. The project manager confirmed that the protection of commercial businesses had to settle for a second priority.
No protective measures had been implemented which directly protected the pier from flooding, something which surely would be very difficult to achieve in any case. Aside from installing under-deck armour to protect a pier’s structure from extreme storm events (as took place at Teignmouth Pier in 2016), there is likely little that one can do to protect seaside piers from sea level rise in the long-term.
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December 2024 – Flooding Concerns
March 2025 – Clarence Pier Gets New Ferris Wheel

April 2025 – 80 Years of The Clarence Site

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