History

An edited version of
The Story of Swanage Pier 1895 to 2002
by Olive Middleton

The original Swanage Pier was constructed in 1859/60 by James Walton of London for the Swanage Pier and Tramway Company and opened by John Mowlem. The Pier was built primarily for shipping stone. Horses were used to pull carts along the narrow gauge tramway which ran along the Pier and seafront. This was intended as a track to link Swanage and Langton Matravers quarries with the Pier, but local opposition caused the track to finish at the `Bankers` (now known as the Parade) where some of the original track can still be seen.

When George Burt started a steamer service between Swanage, Poole and Bournemouth in 1874, the Pier was being used for day-trippers as well as stone cargo, it soon became clear that the Pier was unable to cope with the ever increasing traffic and it was decided a new and longer Pier was needed.
The first pile of the new Pier was driven on November 30th 1895 and the pier opened to traffic on March 29th 1897.
The first steamer, the P.S. Lord Elgin landed people on May 1st 1896. The last was the P.S. Embassy on August 24th 1966,
In 1940 the landward end of the Pier was blown up as an anti invasion precaution. Following the war,steamer traffic was temporarily revived in 1948 but with the Embassy`s departure in August 1966 the Pier deteriorated for almost 30 years

In 1994, the Swanage pier Trust acquired control of the Pier Company, with the aim of keeping the Pier open to residents and visitors and providing for its eventual total restoration.
Already over £1,100.000 of has been spent on restoring the timber structure,following an enormous amount of construction work,
The renovations were financed by funding of $700,000 from the Lottery & English Heritage, plus other grants amounting to £100,400.
A huge effort from the local community and visitors raised the balance of £299,600 in four years.
In order to keep the Pier from again falling into disrepair and dereliction, £100,000 needs to be raised every year - £60,000 for running costs (kept to a minimum by all the volunteer labour) and £40,000 for planned maintenance Lord Raglan the Pier Trust Patron cut the ribbon to declare the Pier, re-opened, at a colourful and well attended ceremony on Sunday July 27th 1998.


The Role of the Pier Friends
www.swanagepierfriends.co.uk
The Pier Friends, pay a minimum of £6 as an annual subscription/donation for which they receive a strolling pass and regular Newsletters. They also have access to a Pier Friends, website which keeps them up to date with the latest happenings.
From time to time the, Pier Friends Committee plan money raising functions - the most successful on-going fund raiser being the Sponsor a Plank scheme.
This costs £40 and entitles the sponsor to a Brass Plaque bearing a 30 letter message, fixed to a Plank on the Pier.
So far (after costs for the brass and engraving) over £58,000 has been raised by this scheme. 
There is also a Full Colour Certificate to compliment the Plaque, these cost £12 each and show a photograph of the owner`s plaque in close up together with a picture of the Plaque`s location on the Pier.

Swanage Pier Today
So Swanage Pier today is a success story, situated at the heart of the World Heritage Coastline, offering something for everyone, but it still needs your help.
If you love Swanage and would like to help with the ongoing maintenance and restoration of the Pier, you can join the Pier Friends, become a volunteer, or sponsor a plank, a lamp or a seat.
Sponsorship and Friends' joining forms are available from the Pier Gatehouse or Shop or you can print them out from the Pier Friend`s Website : www.swanagepierfriends.co.uk
Come and spend a happy and relaxing day on Swanage Pier.

Today the Pier is used and enjoyed by over 125,000 annnual visitors with diverse interests and is one of the main attractions in Swanage.

The illustrated booklet `THE STORY of SWANAGE PIER` by Olive Middleton, is available from the Pier Shop at £1.80 or by post, telephone 01929 426830 price £2.25
Please forward a cheque for £2.25 payable to ' The Swanage Pier Trust' and addressed to ; Pier Shop, Swanage Pier, Dorset, BH19 2AN