West Pier (Brighton)
West Pier is one of a dwindling number of English seaside piers, a fascinating and much loved institution.
It is situated on the South coast at Brighton, and one of two surviving piers in the town, the other being Palace Pier, while the Chain Pier has been long demolished.
West Pier is the only English pier to have Grade 1 listed status.
It was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened in 1866, with a length of 1,115 feet. In 1870, Napoleon III declared it to be Britain`s finest structure.
The pier was used by the military during the Second World War, but reopened to the public, partially in 1946 and fully in 1948.
During 1969, it was the principal location for Richard Attenborough`s outstanding film "Oh! What a Lovely War".
After this, there was a long period of decline, including a major fire in 2003.
But there are plans afoot to restore West Pier to a fully functional seaside pier.