Worthing Pier
Worthing Pier is a pier in Worthing,
West Sussex, England. Designed by Sir Robert
Rawlinson, it was opened on 12 April 1862 and remains open. The pier was
originally a simple promenade deck 960ft (291m) long and 15ft (4.6m) wide. In 1888 the pier was upgraded with
the width increased to 30ft (9.2m) and the pier head increased to 105ft (32m) for a 650-seat pavilion to be
built. It is a grade II listed building.
The first Moving Picture Show in Worthing was shown on the pier on 31 August 1896 and
is commemorated today by a blue plaque.
In 1897 a steam ship began
operation between Worthing Pier and the Chain Pier in Brighton, twelve miles to the
east.
In March 1913 the pier was damaged in a storm, with only the southern end remaining,
completely cut off from land. A rebuilt pier was opened on 29 May 1914.
In September 1933 the pier and all but the northern pavilion were destroyed by fire. In 1935
the remodelled Art Decopier was opened, and
it is this that remains today.
Worthing Pier was sectioned in 1940 for fear of German invasion after the retreat at
Dunkirk. A large hole was also blown in the pier to
prevent it being used as a possible landing stage in the event of invasion.
The pier is owned by Worthing Borough
Council (formerly the Worthing Corporation).
The Pavilion Theatre and Denton Cafe is situated at the northern, land end of the pier; at
the middle is the 1935 amusement arcade, which from 1956 - 2006 carried a distinctive 'New Amusements' sign that
was featured on the cover of the album To See the Lights (1996) by Britpop band Gene. Since 2006 the sign has changed from 'New Amusements' to 'Pier
Amusements'.
The Southern Pavilion (the sea end) is currently home to a nightclub named The Pier,
which opened on 20 December 2007. It has previously been used as a cafe, dance hall and to house a model railway
layout.
Since 2008, Worthing Pier has been the home of the annual International Birdman competition, which moved to the pier after it could
no longer safely be held on the pier at Bognor
Regis, some 15 miles (24 km) to the west.
In November 2009 during strong winds, two Worthing kite surfers became the first people
to kitesurf over the pier.
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