Not Bournemouth or Brighton – Brits name UK's best seaside pier and it opened in 1901
Today, the spot remains one of the few traditional pleasure piers left in the UK.
The UK has no shortage of famous seaside piers. Brighton Palace Pier is one of the best-known. Bournemouth Pier also draws huge summer crowds. Clacton Pier is another favourite for families. And with so many popular names, choosing the very best is not easy.
But according to TripAdvisor’s travellers’ favourite ranking of Piers & Boardwalks in England, neither Bournemouth nor Brighton has taken the top spot. Instead, one traditional Victorian pier has been named the UK’s best.
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Cromer Pier has earned a rating of 4.6 out of five from just over 3,000 reviews on TripAdvisor.
It came second in the overall ranking, beaten only by Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock, which has the same rating from 18,000 reviews.
When it comes to piers alone, Cromer came out on top. Brighton Palace Pier placed second among piers, while Clacton Pier came third. Bournemouth Pier ranked ninth among piers.
Cromer Pier stands on the North Norfolk coast and opened in its current form on June 8, 1901. It replaced earlier wooden jetties that had been destroyed by storms in 1843 and 1897.
Designed by Douglass and Arnott, the iron structure originally stretched 500 feet. It was extended in 1923 to accommodate a new lifeboat station, but today measures roughly 151 metres (495ft) in length.
The pier has survived major damage over the years. It was cut in half in 1940 to prevent enemy landings during the Second World War. It also suffered significant storm damage in 1953, 1976 and 2013.
Today, it remains one of the few traditional pleasure piers left in the UK.
One of its most famous features is the Pavilion Theatre. It is home to the Cromer Pier Show, the only remaining end-of-the-pier variety show of its kind in the world.
The show runs during the summer season and also has a Christmas special, featuring dancers, comedians and speciality acts.
The pier is also known as one of the best places in the UK for crabbing. Visitors line the decking with buckets and lines to catch local Cromer crabs.
At the far end sits a working RNLI lifeboat station, where visitors can often see the all-weather lifeboat and learn more about the crew’s work.
There are also places to eat, including Tides Bistro and the Pavilion Bar, which offers views across the coastline.
The pier is dog-friendly and open 24 hours a day for walking and fishing, although theatre and shop opening times vary by season.
Those who visit rarely leave disappointed. One person wrote in a review on TripAdvisor: “Lovely Pier. Traditional in style but well-appointed with toilets, plenty of seating and places for refreshments. Not the biggest pier, but a nice length to amble along. Interesting lifeboat station at the end with an RNLI shop.”
Another added: “A beautiful scenery across the sea greeted us this evening to attend our local theatre. A wonderful local theatre, the staff were all very friendly and the service was fantastic.”
A third wrote: “Visiting Cromer Pier is always a highlight of our holiday. The children love crabbing off the pier, and they were lucky enough to catch two crabs this year! Fun all round!”
Someone else commented: “Cromer Pier is part of Norfolk social life. A visit to the pier and the fantastic variety show is a must for us every summer. We are never disappointed.”
