The new Withernsea pier: technological feat and popular success
Despite some damage during its construction, the 1,196-feet-long pier was completed by August 1877. Built entirely out of iron, except for the brick entrance and wooden decking, the pier used the new technology of screw piles, which were driven deep into the ground. Seating was provided along the full length of the pier and a saloon and hall for entertainment was situated at the pier head. The entrance to the pier consisted of two castellated towers, rumoured to be based on Conwy Castle in Wales.
Storm damage and tragic loss of life
On 28 October 1880, a devastating storm erupted which caused damage to many of Yorkshire’s piers. Withernsea Pier suffered twice when it was hit by two storm-damaged vessels. T
The second vessel to hit the pier was the brig Saffron, which tore a 200-foot hole through its centre before coming to rest nearby. The Saffron had been part of a flotilla of ships which had set out from the Humber, journeying northwards. Around Flamborough Head, the wind increased rapidly to a storm force gale. The fleet was at the mercy of the elements.
The pier had only just been repaired when it was damaged again on 28 March 1882, the pier head being destroyed along with the saloon above it. The pier was not repaired, but the remaining sections continued in use.
The series of disasters was relentless, and on 20 October 1890, the Grimsby fishing smack Genesta hit the pier, destroying over half its length and leaving just over 300 feet remaining.
Two years later even this was destroyed, when another vessel, the Henry Parr (formerly the Dido) rammed into it at the height of another storm.
The remains of Withernsea pier: a landmark and memorial
The history of the pier at Withernsea is both tragic and yet in some ways inspiring. The two entrance towers have survived all the devastation around them. They are a well-loved landmark in the town, even if many visitors are totally unaware that they once formed a part of a pier. They also act as a memorial to those sailors who perished in the seas around it.