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Deal
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of Deal Piers in Kent.
As one of only two surviving piers in Kent, Deal Pier is the only one which still exists to a substantial length. Its Kentish counterpart at Herne Bay can only boast a shoreward end. The present Deal Pier is the third to have been built here, and is the only new pier in Britain to have been constructed after the Second World War.
Deal's first pier, designed by J. Rennie, was built in 1838, but due to financial difficulties suffered by the pier construction company, work was halted. At half the length of the original design, Deal Pier was opened to steamers for almost 20 years until severe storm damage destroyed it in 1857.
Eugenius Birch was responsible for the second Deal Pier design, with work commencing in 1863. This pier was 1,100ft (333m) long, consisting of a decked promenade with seating along its entire length, and a three-tiered steamer landing stage at the head. A tramway was also installed to convey luggage to the pier head, and at the shoreward end two ornate tollhouses were erected. The official opening of Deal Pier was in the autumn of 1864. Over the next 30 years various additions were made, including a reading room and salt baths in the 1870s, and a smart new pavilion in 1886 at the seaward end.
Damaged by shipping on several occasions, Deal Pier required extensive repairs to be undertaken over the years. On 19th January 1873 it was struck by the
Merle
, and on 26th January 1884 by the
Alliance
. Ultimately, it was the complete destruction by a ship that caused the pier's demise in January 1940. The Dutch vessel
Nora
was crippled by a mine and was subsequently beached south of the pier. The rising tide then lifted her clear of the beach, and proceeded to smash her repeatedly against the side of the pier's superstructure with the inevitable outcome that a bulk of the pier neck collapsed. Winston Churchill gave the army permission to demolish the remains of the Deal Pier, leaving only the shoreward tollbooths remaining.
In 1954 the surviving tollbooths were removed and work began on the construction of the third and present pier. Designed by Sir W. Halcrow & Partners and built entirely of reinforced concrete, the pier was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh on 19th November 1957. Although not as ornate as its predecessors, today's Deal Pier has a simple style. Seating runs along its 1,026ft (311m) length and ends at a three-tiered pier head containing bar, café and lounge. The pier's structure was extensively refurbished and repaired in 1997, with work including the replacement of much of the concrete cladding on the pier's main piles. There are currently plans to redevelop the end of the pier with a glass structure - the cafe at the end is in urgent need of improvement.
Piers on this Page:-
Deal Pier Postcards - 1864 Pier
Deal Pier Postcards - 1957 Pier
Deal Pier in 2007
Deal Excursion Vessels
Other Kent Pages:-
Kent Piers
Kent Excursion Ships
Dover
General Steam Navigation
Invicta Line Cruises
Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Co
Maidstone
- River Medway excursion boats
New Palace Steamers
PS Kingswear Castle
PS Monarch (3)
Queenborough
- River Swale/Medway port
Tilbury-Gravesend Ferry
Associated Pages:-
UK Excursion Ships, Ports & Piers
Essex Piers
Suffolk Piers
Sussex Piers
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards
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Recent Updates
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References:-
Guide to British Piers (2nd Edition) -
by Timothy Mickleburgh - Piers Information Bureau, 1988
www.theheritagetrail.co.uk
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Deal
1864 Deal Pier Postcards
Victoria Series postcard of the 1864 Deal Pier entrance
J Welch & Sons (Portsmouth) postcard the 1864 Deal Pier entrance, posted 5th May 1919
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The 1864 Deal Pier entrance
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The 1864 Deal Pier entrance
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Valentine's card of the 1864 Deal Pier entrance
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The 1864 Deal Pier entrance
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Postcard of the 1864 Deal Pier
King's Bazaar (Deal) photographic postcard the 1864 Deal Pier
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Rapid Photo Printing Co (London) photographic postcard the 1864 Deal Pier
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The 1864 Deal Pier
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The 1864 Deal Pier in moonlight
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Postcard the 1864 Deal Pier behind the bandstand
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EA Schwertdtfeger (Berlin) postcard the 1864 Deal Pier behind the bandstand
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Postcard of the 1864 Deal Pier, looking towards the shore
The 1864 Deal Pier, looking towards the shore
The 1864 Deal Pier, looking towards the shore
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The 1864 Deal Pier, looking towards the shore
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The 1864 Deal Pier, looking towards the shore
Alternative copy of the card above
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View from the 1864 Deal Pier
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View from the 1864 Deal Pier
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1957 Deal Pier Postcards
Valentine's photographic card of the Deal Pier of 1957 - the last pier built in Britain
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Photographic card of the Deal Pier of 1957 - the last pier built in Britain
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The third Deal Pier of 1957 - with GSN motorship
Entrance to the third Deal Pier of 1957 - the last pier built in Britain
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Deal Pier in 2007
Deal Pier from the north
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 30th April 2007
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Deal Pier from the north
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 30th April 2007
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Deal Pier entrance
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd April 2007
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Deal Pier entrance
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd April 2007
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Deal Pier entrance
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 30th April 2007
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