PHOTOGRAPH:
LOOP
IMAGES/ALAMY
ESSEX
StretchingoutintotheThames
Estuary,themonumentaliron
andwoodconstructionof
SouthendPieris theBigDaddy
of allpiers– at 1.3miles,it’sthe
longestin theworld.Standingat
its entrance,thesweepingwalk
canseemdaunting.Butsoon
you’refarfromland,buffetedby
thewindandexperiencingthe
curioussensationof walkinghigh
abovethewaves.Abouthalfan
hour’sstrollleadsto therestored
pierheadanda café,sundeck
andlifeboatstation.Hopping
aboardthePierRailwaysaves
thelongslogback.
FTrainsrunonthehourand
half-hourfromtheshoreend;at
quarterpastandquarterto from
the pier head (southend.gov.uk).SOMERSET
Thisyearmarksthe150th
anniversaryof ClevedonPier
(pictured).Attracting10,000
visitorseveryyear,it is prince
amongpiers.PoetSirJohn
Betjemancalledit ‘themost
beautifulpierin England’,and
it’sbeenGradeI-listedsince
2001 (theonlypierto havethat
statussincethecollapseof
Brighton’sWestPier).Over 300
metreslong,it wasbuiltin the
1860sto receivepaddle
steamersrunningpleasure
cruisesintotheSevernEstuary,
thensufferedsomewhatoverthe
followingdecades.By 1970 the
pierwasallbutderelict,butis
nowhandsomelyrestored.
FClevedonis 13milesfrom Bristol
(clevedonpier.co.uk).SUFFOLK
Fora blastof breezyBritish
seasidecharm,it’shardto beat
Southwold.Thecharismatic
Suffolkfishingporthaslong
drawnvisitorsto its goldensands
andbrightlypaintedbeachhuts.
Startyourexplorationsat the
190-metreVictorianpier,with
its restaurants,entertainments
andkookycollectionof satirical
amusementmachines.Amble
alongthepromenade,admiring
thesquatlighthouse,andmaybe
dropbytheretroElectricPicture
Palaceto seea film– andthe
ascendingcinemaorgan.
FSouthwoldis 35milesnorthof
Ipswichand 31 milessoutheastof
Norwich(southwoldpier.co.uk).
Thenearesttrainstationsareat
Darsham or Halesworth.NORTHWALES
Wales’mainbeachresort,
Llandudno,hasa strikingnatural
settingandvestigesof its
Victorianheydaythatmakeit
amongthemostattractiveof
Britain’sbiggerseasidetowns.
Theshelteredsandysweepof its
NorthShoreBeach,thelongest
pierin Wales(andlongerthan
Blackpool’sandBrighton’s)and
the 1902 GreatOrmeTramway
haulingpassengersupto a
headlandhighabovethetown
allhelpedestablishit as a
leadingtouristdestinationbythe
endof the19thcentury,and
havekeptit upthereeversince.
FLlandudno, 46 mileswestof
Chester,is wellconnectedto the
nationalrailwaynetwork
(llandudnopier.com).Play on the pierJoin the generations who have trodden the salty decks of Britain’s seaside survivors