Cromer Pier is a Grade II listed seaside pier[1] in the civil parish of Cromer on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk, 25 miles (40 km) due north of the city of Norwich in the United Kingdom.[2] The pier is the home of the Cromer Lifeboat Station and the Pavilion Theatre.

Cromer Pier
Aerial view of Cromer pier in 2015
TypePleasure Pier
Official nameCromer Pier
OwnerNorth Norfolk District Council
Characteristics
Total length495 feet (151 m)
History
ConstructorAlfred Thorne
DesignerDouglass and Arnott
Opening date8 June 1901
Pavilion Theatre on the end of Cromer Pier
Ticket for the Pavilion Theatre on Cromer Pier, Show: The Manfreds

History

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There are records of a pier in Cromer back as far as 1391, although then it was in the form of a jetty. In the year 1582, Queen Elizabeth I, in a letter to the inhabitants of Cromer granted rights to export wheat, barley and malt with the proceeds to be used for the maintenance and well-being of the pier and the town of Cromer.

In 1822, a 210-foot (64 m) long jetty was built (of cast iron, made by Hase of Saxthorpe) but this structure lasted just 24 years before it was totally destroyed in a storm. This jetty was replaced by another wooden structure but this time it was a little longer being 240 feet (73 m). This jetty soon became very popular for promenading. A keeper was employed to keep order; there were strict rules applied including no smoking, and ladies were required to retire from the jetty by 9 PM. The last wooden jetty survived until 1897, when it was damaged beyond repair after a coal boat smashed into it. It was dismantled and the timber sold for £40.

For a period of time from this date Cromer was without a pier but to end this situation the "Pier Commissioners" planned to replace the old wood structure with a more fashionable structure. In 1902, the new pier was completed and opened to the public. This new pier was designed by Douglass and Arnott and the construction was carried out by Alfred Thorne. The new pier was 450 feet (140 m) long and had cost £17,000 to build. In the early years the pier consisted of glass-screened shelters and a bandstand on the end of the pier. The shelters were roofed over in 1905 to form a pavilion; the bandstand was later replaced with a stage and proscenium arch. From 1907 this was used to accommodate the latest craze of roller-skating.

The pier is owned and maintained by North Norfolk District Council which undertook responsibility for running and funding after the local government re-organisation of 1974. Since that time, the District Council have carried out a number of major repair and refurbishments, the most recent being completed in 2013.

In March 2015, the pier was voted Pier of the Year 2015 by the National Piers Society. Owners North Norfolk District Council said it was "a fantastic reward" and they were "hugely proud of the pier".[3]

Pier repairs

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North Norfolk District Council began a £1.2 million repair scheme in June 2012, and the work was completed in October 2013, just before the tidal surge of December 2013. Repairs included replacement of the metal main trusses and cross braces.[4]

The pier was damaged during the storm surge of 5 December 2013. However, the repair work just completed allowed the main structure to withstand the main force of the surge, although there was damage to parts of the walkway and other buildings. Decking boards were lifted with damage to the souvenir shop, the box office and the flooring of the Pavilion Theatre. The pier was closed to the public on safety grounds until repairs were completed, allowing the theatre to resume its Christmas show programme on 12 December 2013 and allowing public access to the pier, and the RNLI safe access to the lifeboat station at the pier-end.[5][6]

An initial assessment of the damage to the pier made indicated repair costs would be in the tens of thousands of pounds, but within nine days this figure had escalated to the hundreds of thousands. A temporary box office was erected at the pier-entrance while the permanent box office and souvenir shop were refurbished.[7] As of July 2014, work was continuing, and the pier's supporting structure had been repaired.[8] Another eight-week scheme of improvements was expected to start in September 2014, with a projected cost of a further £200,000.

In the media

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Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ British Listed Buildings Retrieved 4 October, 2013
  2. ^ "Cromer Pier - National Piers Society". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  3. ^ BBC news report Retrieved 7 April 2014
  4. ^ EDP news report Retrieved 8 October 2012
  5. ^ Batson, Richard (7 December 2013). "Cromer Pier's flood-hit Christmas show could be back within days". Eastern Daily Press.
  6. ^ EDP item Retrieved 15 December 2013
  7. ^ BBC news item Retrieved 15 December 2013
  8. ^ BBC news item Retrieved 11 August 2014
  9. ^ a b Cromer history Retrieved April 12, 2008
  10. ^ The Flesh and Blood Show Retrieved April 14, 2008
  11. ^ Most Haunted TV series Retrieved 19 February 2010
  12. ^ In Love With Alma Cogan Archived 10 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 8 October 2012
  13. ^ BBC news report Retrieved 25 July, 2013
  14. ^ Seaside town is 'star' of Christmas TV BBC News, 2 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018
  15. ^ BBC One launches Christmas film about cherishing time with loved ones BBC Media Centre, 1 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018
  16. ^ "Pier of the Year 2024 - National Piers Society". 4 April 2024.

Further reading

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  • The Story of Cromer Pier by Christopher Pipe (Poppyland Publishing, 1998) ISBN 094614852X
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52°56′03″N 1°18′06″E / 52.934278°N 1.301622°E / 52.934278; 1.301622

Awards and achievements
Preceded by National Piers Society
Pier of the Year

2015
Succeeded by
Preceded by National Piers Society
Pier of the Year

2000
Succeeded by