iknow Sussex made my point about Victorian and Edwardian seaside architecture. Hastings Pier was the creation of seaside architect Eugenius Birch who modelled the Hastings design on Brighton's West Pier (since lost). Hastings Pier first opened in 1872 and until 2010 was a hub for craft shops and amusements. At Eastbourne, Birch's glorious pier (1872) still stands in good condition. Eastbourne Pier stretches 1000’ out to sea and with its wide promenade proved perfect strolling ground for the upper classes arriving at Eastbourne and the Devonshire Hotels through the Victorian and Edwardian era.
Once the railway from London reached Southend, there was a great influx of summer time visitors. The large number of people must have made a bit of a mess of the existing wooden pier and in 1873, it was sold to the local council. Soon the Southend council decided to replace the pier with a new iron structure which was completed in 1889 at great expense.