Monument record FEX 123 - Felixstowe Pier

The pier opened in August 1905 to a length of half a mile. It incorporated a 3'6" gauge electric tramway....... The tramway service was suspended at the outbreak of World War II and never resumed. The pier was sectioned for defence reasons and its seaward end was demolished after the war. (S1)
Photographs from April 1944 show the pier at its original length with a section removed to prevent enemy invasion forces from using it as a landing stage. (S2)
By 1948 another, larger, section of pier had been either removed or destroyed (S3) and by 1951 only a short section of the pier remained (S4).

November 2015: A historic building recording was carried out on Felixstowe pier by Archaeology South-East prior to the demolition and redevelopment of the pier (S5).
The recording consisted of written notes and a photographic record including a description of the building’s architecture, location, form, function (historically and at present), date and sequence of development. Local residents were also interviewed to record the oral history of the site. The drawn record comprises floor plans and elevations of the building as existing to illustrate its layout. The outer pier was only inspected from a distance due to safety issues.
The structure is a seaside pier which was built for the East Coast Development Company and opened in 1905 as a landing stage for steamers. The pier is 234m long and supported by concrete piles. The pier itself is a relatively simple structure and is made up of 43 sets or ‘bents’ of three concrete piles.
Originally the pier was 800m long meaning it was the third longest pier in England at the time. It consisted of a timber boardwalk supported by concrete piles with a t-shaped landing stage at the seaward end. The Pier Pavilion was constructed on the 1920s but was replaced by a modern leisure centre in 1983. During WWII it was sectioned to prevent its use as a landing stage by the enemy. It became much damaged and was rebuilt after the war in 1950. The outer pier is not open to the public due to its poor condition but the pavilion is in use as a games arcade. In 1969 an extension was made to the amusement arcade, including a bingo hall and a new entrance.
The original façade of the pier is now obscured by a 1960s steel-framed extension which occupies the ramp. The original façade would have been set back from the promenade and had a large central entrance flanked by tall sash windows either side as well as two smaller entrances at either end surrounded by glass block windows. The side elevations are both dominated by six large panels decorated with seaside motifs and the word ‘pier’. The panels were formerly windows; evidence of this can be seen in the interior of the building where many of the windows survive intact and in aerial photography from 1950 showing their former arrangement. The rear elevation faces out to sea as well as the pier itself. It is relatively unadorned with white painted brick and a simple corbelled brick cornice.
Nothing remains of the original pier, apart from a couple of timber piles and possibly the railings.