| Summary : Clevedon Pier was built between 1867 and 1869 by Hamilton's Windsor Ironwork Co. and designed by J.W. Grover and R.J. Ward (though various sources attribute R. West of Westminster to the design instead of Ward). When first constructed it was 842 feet (256.6 metres) in length and consisted of a masonry approach 180 feet (54.9 metres) long and 20 feet wide with eight 100 feet spans. The metalwork was largely of iron 'Barlow' rails of a type introduced on the South Wales railway by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, carried on wrought iron screw piles. A stone tollhouse, gates and pier master's dwelling were designed by local architect Hans Price.A new pierhead and landing stage with a cast-iron pavilion were erected between 1892 and 1894 to plans by G N Abernethy. However in the twentieth century the pier suffered considerable deterioration and two outermost spans of the neck collapsed under test loading in 1970, leaving the landing-stage and pavilion isolated in the sea. In 1979, Woodspring District Council sought permission to demolish the Pier. However a Public Enquiry held in 1980, led to the removal of the demolition order and described the pier as 'an exceptionally important building warranting every effort to preserve it'. Between 1983 and 1989, restoration work was undertaken on the shoreward end of the Pier at a cost of about £500,000. Between 1995 and 1998, the pier-head and landing stage were restored. The full restoration had cost £3.2 million. The cast iron lamp standards along the pier have bases dated 1868. The T-shaped platform at seaward end has an octagonal glazed pavilion and roofed shelters and Gothic ironwork. The pavilion has an ironwork balcony and columns with Gothic detail to the brackets, and a tented roof with a weather-vane. Clevedon Pier is the only intact Grade I listed Pier in the United Kingdom and an elegant testament to the country's Victorian seaside heritage. |
More information : ST 402719 Pier. (1)
Clevedon Pier built in 1867-8 by Hamilton's Windsor Ironwork
Co. and designed by R.J. Ward and J.W. Grover. It is 842 feet
(256.6 metres) in length and consists of a masonry approach 180 feet
(54.9 metres) long and 20 feet wide with eight 100 feet spans of
wrought iron girders carried on wrought iron screw piles. The
pierhead was enlarged and realigned in 1891 and a cast iron
building was added. The two outermost spans of the neck collapsed
under test loading in 1970 and repair work has not yet been
undertaken. The pier belongs to Woodspring District Council. (2)
Clevedon pier and tollhouse.
The pier, designed by J.W. Grover and R.West of Westminster, was
begun in 1867 and opened in 1869. The stone tollhouse, gates and
piermaster's dwelling were designed by Hans Price.
A new pierhead and landing stage with cast-iron pavilion were
erected in 1892. The cast-iron lamp standards have bases dated
1868. Grade 2*. (3-4)
5121 MARINE PARADE (West Side)
The Pier, including the Tollhouse
ST 4071 1/16 10.8.71
ST 47 SW 3/16
II* GV
The pier was begun in 1867 and opened on Easter Monday 1869. The
designers were J W Grover and R West of Westminster. Stone tollhouse,
gates and dwelling of pier master were designed by a local architect
called Hans Price. New pierhead and landing-stage with cast-iron
pavilion erected in 1892 to plans by G N Abernethy. 2 outer spans of
pier collapsed in 1970 leaving the landing-stage and pavilion
isolated in the sea. The pier is of cast iron construction with
round-headed arches between the stanchions. The metalwork is
largely of iron "Barlow" rails of a type introduced on the South
Wales railway by Brunel. Cast iron lamp standards with bases dated
1868. T-shaped platform at sea end with octagonal glazed pavilion
and roofed shelters and Gothic ironwork. The pavilion has ironwork
balcony, columns with Gothic detail to brackets, and a tented roof
with weather-vane. (5,8)
(Authority 5 is the full text of Authority 3)
ST 401719: Clevedon Pier. An elegant pier, opened in 1869, designed by Ward and Grover to incorporate an unusual use of Barlow rail in the upper parts of the supporting members. Damaged 1970. Undergoing
restoration. (6)
Very little remains of Clevedon Pier, most of it having been destroyed in the last 10 years or so.
The whole of the central portion of the pier proper has been completely demolished and of the original 256m there is now a gap of about 200m isolating the original T-shaped pier head. This at approximately ST 39957198 is inaccesible being well below low water mark. It consists of six sets of quadruple stanchions with linking girders, but no superstructure. At the landward end of the pier there remains but three pairs of stanchions, linked with girders, and the masonry approach.
The former piermaster's house and toll house are now occupied by the Clevedon Pier Trust and used as an exhibition hall. (7)
Clevedon Pier was built between 1867 and 1868 by Hamilton's Windsor Ironwork Co. and designed by J.W. Grover and R.J. Ward (though various sources attribute R. West of Westminster to the design instead of Ward). When first constructed it was 842 feet (256.6 metres) in length and consisted of a masonry approach 180 feet (54.9 metres) long and 20 feet wide with eight 100 feet spans. The metalwork was largely of iron 'Barlow' rails of a type introduced on the South Wales railway by Kingdom Isambard Brunel, carried on wrought iron screw piles. A stone tollhouse, gates and pier master's dwelling were designed by local architect Hans Price. (1-7)
A new pierhead and landing stage with a cast-iron pavilion were erected between 1892 and 1894 to plans by G N Abernethy. However in the twentieth century the pier suffered considerable deterioration and two outermost spans of the neck collapsed under test loading in 1970, leaving the landing-stage and pavilion isolated in the sea. In 1979, Woodspring District Council sought permission to demolish the Pier. However a Public Enquiry held in 1980, led to the removal of the demolition order and described the pier as 'an exceptionally important building warranting every effort to preserve it'. Between 1983 and 1989, restoration work was undertaken on the shoreward end of the Pier at a cost of about £500,000. Between 1995 and 1998, the pier-head and landing stage were restored. The full restoration had cost £3.2 million. (2-7)
The cast iron lamp standards along the pier have bases dated 1868. The T-shaped platform at seaward end has an octagonal glazed pavilion and roofed shelters and Gothic ironwork. The pavilion has an ironwork balcony and columns with Gothic detail to the brackets, and a tented roof with a weather-vane. Clevedon Pier is the only intact Grade I listed Pleasure Pier in the United Kingdom and an elegant testament to the seaside heritage of the region. (5,8)
A Victorian and 20th century pier, visible as a number of structures, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1946 and 1950. The pier and pier approach, centred at ST 4009 7193, are about 286 metres long and led to a rectangular pier-head about 30 metres northeast-southwest by 16.5 metres northwest-southeast. In the middle of the pier-head, a rectangular building 10 metres by 8 metres, centred at ST 3995 7200, was a cast-iron, pagoda style pavilion which replaced the original pier-head cafe in the 1891 refurbishment. Two rectangular pagoda style shelters, about 9.5 metres long and 3.3 metres wide, are sited on the northeast and southwest sides (ST 3997 7200 and ST 3995 7198). Abutting the northwest side of the pier, the landing stage is subrectangular and about 28 metres northeast-southwest by 5 metres northwest-southeast. There were six levels of landing stage to facilitate ferry passengers disembarking at various levels of the tide. The landing stage was built at an angle to the pierhead, in order to align with the prevailing Bristol Channel current. Aerial photographs taken in 1976 show the 64 metres of missing pier section following its 1970 collapse, along with the isolated pier-head/pavilion. Aerial photographs taken in 1985 show the remaining pier section in the process of reconstruction, with two barges in attendance.
In all, the total cost of building the pier was £10,000 and employed an average workforce of sixty men. Approximately 370 tons of wrought ironwork were required. A stone tollhouse, gates and piermaster's dwelling were designed by local architect Hans Price, the Toll House built by Clevedon builder, W. Green in a Scottish baronial style, much favoured at that time for bridge abutments. The entrance gates and railings were made in Clevedon's Turner and Sons foundry. A new pierhead and landing stage with a cast-iron pavilion were erected between 1892 and 3rd April 1893 to plans by G N Abernethy for the sum of £10,000. The new landing stage was built at an angle to the pierhead, in order to align with the prevailing Bristol Channel current. However in the twentieth century the pier suffered considerable deterioration. In 1913, the timber landing stage was replaced by the present pre-cast concrete structure. (9-14)
Additional Source. [15] |