![]() 1930s aerial view | |
Type | Pleasure Pier |
---|---|
Official name | Palace Pier |
Owner | St Leonards Pier Company (1888–1917) John Henry Gardner (1917–1933) David and Philip Lannon(1933–1951) |
Operator | American Syndicate (1909–1917) Southern Piers Ltd (1933–1945) |
Characteristics | |
Total length | 950 ft (290 m) |
History | |
Designer | R St George-Moore F H Humphries (north pavilion) |
Construction start | 1888 |
Completion date | 1891 |
Opening date | 28 October 1891 |
Closure date | September 1939 |
Demolition date | 1951-1953 |
Coordinates | 50°51′04″N 0°33′07″E / 50.8510159°N 0.551912°E |
St Leonards Pier, also known as the Palace Pier, was a public pleasure pier in St Leonards-on-Sea, part of the town and borough of Hastings in East Sussex, England. Opened in 1891[1] the pier was a direct rival to nearby Hastings Pier,[2] and during its heyday the pier was a leading tourist attraction,[3] and was described in the 1894 Baedeker travel guide as handsome.[4] The pier was damaged during WW2 and left derelict after the war until purchased by Hastings Corporation in 1951 who demolished the structure over the next two years.