Top of the docks: Ten quay facts about Clacton pier

When Clacton pier opened on 27 July 1871 it was just 480 feet long. Credit: ITV News Anglia

  • When Clacton pier opened on 27 July 1871 it was just 480 feet (146 metres) long and 12 feet (3.7 metres) wide.

  • The pier was lengthened to 1180 feet (360 metres) in 1893 to accommodate the extra day trippers.

  • When the pier was first built, much of it was a wooden structure. In the 1920s the owners extended the pier with concrete piles which is easier for the current owners to maintain.

  • During the Second World War the pier was breached to prevent it being used as a landing stage.

  • By the 1940s, attractions included two theatres, the Blue Lagoon dance hall, the Crystal casino, an open air swimming pool, an open air stage and the Steel Stella rollercoaster.

  • The Steel Stella roller coaster was destroyed by a fire in 1973

In the 1940s there were two pier theatres, a dance hall and a swimming pool. Credit: ITV News Anglia

  • The Steel Stella roller coaster was destroyed by a fire in 1973

  • In the 1970s and early 1980s dolphins and killer whales were kept and displayed on the site of the former open air swimming pool.

  • Just to maintain the deck and below it costs at least £100,000 a year. Some years that figure doubles.

  • In-house engineers carry out checks underneath the pier at least once a week and carpenters inspect the boards daily. An independent structural engineer visits every 6-8 weeks.

  • The helter-skelter which was damaged by high winds in October 2013 has been fully repaired and it’s hoped it will be back up and running by the end of 2015.