Beaumaris Pier

Beaumaris Pier

Date	28 February 2015
Location	Beaumaris, Anglesey	SH 60575 76001; 53.26261°N, 4.09178°W
Information	Designed by Frederick Foster and constructed from limestone blocks, Beaumaris Pier originally opened in 1846. After being damaged in a storm it was rebuilt in 1872. The original masonry causeway was extended with a wooden-planked deck on iron girders supported by timber piles. Further alterations were made in 1895 when a T-shaped landing stage and a pavilion were added to the pier head. A narrow-gauge railway, carrying hand trucks to convey passengers’ luggage along the length of the pier, was also added at that time. The Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Company operated both local cruises and services to Liverpool from the pier. Following the decline in the popularity of pleasure cruises during the 1950s, however, the pier fell into disrepair and the cross pier head was subsequently demolished. Various repairs were carried out from the 1960s to the 80s, with ownership of the pier passing to Anglesey Borough Council in 1974. More recently, as its condition had been allowed to deteriorate over the years, Anglesey County Council oversaw a major refurbishment programme as part of the £5.6 million Anglesey Coastal Environment Project with funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Welsh Assembly Government. Work on the £2 million upgrade started in March 2011 and the pier was officially re-opened in June 2012. The project involved the following: strengthening the lumber supports with stainless-steel plates; replacing the wooden deck and restoring it to its full original width; renovating the pier-head shelter and the gift kiosk at the entrance; building a new connecting bridge and floating landing stage for use by the local angling and pleasure-cruise vessels that dock at the pier. The new pontoon was damaged in December 2012 by a storm and high tides and was repaired in March 2013. By August 2013 concerns were being raised over the lack of general maintenance with the County Council not allocating any funds in its budget for the upkeep of the pier. Calls were also made for any money raised by the pier through docking fees to be ring fenced for its ongoing maintenance.

Beaumaris Pier

Beaumaris Pier

The renovated pier-head shelter. Built in the 1980s, the current shelter replaced a previous 1960s structure.

Looking towards the pier-head shelter

Beaumaris Pier

Remains of the 2 ft 6 inch gauge hand-operated luggage track, which was installed in 1895. Use of the baggage line was discontinued following the First World War.

The pontoon landing stage and connecting bridge were added as part of the 2011-12 renovation of the pier.

The seaward end of the 174 m long pier. Part of the original 1846 structure survives as the stone-built landward end.