Eastbourne Pier has reached out into the Channel for more than 150 years, and in that time it has survived storms, a wartime mine, several fires and the gilding of its domes. It remains the symbol of the town — a Grade II* listed Victorian masterpiece and still its most popular attraction. This is the story of Eastbourne Pier: how it was built, the fire that nearly destroyed it, and what the future holds.
Eastbourne Pier: key dates
- 1863 — a pier is first proposed for Eastbourne
- 1866 — the first iron pile is driven into the seabed
- 13 June 1870 — the pier opens, designed by Eugenius Birch
- 1872 — the full 1,000-foot pier is completed
- 1877 — a New Year’s storm sweeps away the landward end, later rebuilt higher
- 1901 — a 1,000-seat theatre and camera obscura are added at the seaward end
- 1925 — a music pavilion (later the “Blue Room”) is built at the shore end
- 1942 — a wartime mine damages the pier; decking is removed for defence
- 1948 — the pier passes to Eastbourne Borough Council
- 2014 — a major fire destroys the Blue Room arcade
- 2015 — new owner Sheikh Abid Gulzar paints the domes gold
The idea for a pier
A pier for Eastbourne was first proposed at the end of 1863, strongly backed by the town’s great landowner, William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire. The original idea was for a grand 1,000-foot structure at the foot of Devonshire Place, the town’s finest avenue — but that plan was abandoned in favour of the present site at the junction of Grand and Marine Parades. The Eastbourne Pier Company was registered in 1865 with capital of £15,000, and on 18 April 1866 the first iron pile was screwed into the seabed.
Building Eastbourne Pier
The pier was designed by Eugenius Birch, the most celebrated pier engineer of the Victorian age, who created 14 piers in all — including Brighton’s West Pier. Eastbourne is often regarded as his finest work after that. It was officially opened on 13 June 1870 by Lord Edward Cavendish, although only about half its length was finished; the full pier wasn’t completed until 1872. In its early days it offered exactly what well-to-do Victorians wanted: a place to promenade “on the water”, a café, a resident brass band, and a landing stage where paddle steamers called to take passengers on trips along the coast.
Did you know? Eastbourne Pier is designed to move. It stands on cast-iron stilts that sit in cups on the seabed rather than being fixed rigidly, allowing the whole structure to flex and shift in rough weather — which is part of why it has survived so long.
Storms, theatres and the camera obscura
The pier’s first great test came on New Year’s Day 1877, when a violent storm swept away the landward end. It was rebuilt several feet higher to withstand the waves — which is why, to this day, there’s a distinct change of level as you walk down the pier. Over the following decades it grew grander: a domed theatre at the seaward end in 1888, replaced in 1901 by a 1,000-seat theatre complete with bar, offices and a camera obscura — a Victorian optical curiosity that projects a live image of the seafront onto a screen. In 1925 a large music pavilion was added at the shore end, later used as a ballroom and then an amusement arcade known as the Blue Room.
The twentieth century brought more drama. During the Second World War a mine damaged the pier, and a section of decking was deliberately removed to deter enemy landings. The pier passed into the ownership of Eastbourne Borough Council in 1948. A fire in 1970, started by a pier employee, gutted the Pavilion Theatre, and the Great Storm of 1987 wrecked the landing stage. The camera obscura, one of the few left in the country, was lovingly restored and reopened to visitors in 2003.
The 2014 fire
The pier’s darkest day came on 30 July 2014, when a huge fire broke out behind the wood panelling of the Blue Room arcade. Up to 80 firefighters battled the blaze through the day, and dramatic images of smoke pouring from the pier made national news, prompting fears that Eastbourne had lost its landmark for good. In the end, around two-thirds of the pier was saved, with the Blue Room reduced to a charred metal skeleton while the rest — including the seaward pavilion — escaped. The then Prime Minister visited the scene, and a £2 million support package was announced.
The fire was followed by tragedy: a few days later, a workman helping to make the structure safe fell through the fire-damaged section and died. Investigators later treated the cause of the blaze as suspected arson. Despite it all, the undamaged two-thirds of the pier reopened to the public within months, and repairs to the rest began in 2015.
The pier today
In 2015 the pier was bought by businessman Sheikh Abid Gulzar, who promptly painted its domes gold — a move that delighted some and dismayed conservationists, but which has undeniably given the pier a glittering new look. Today it’s free to walk on and busy through the season, with Victorian-style tea rooms, a waterfront bar, an amusement arcade, gift shops, fish and chips, and anglers fishing from the end. It remains one of the highlights in our guide to the best things to do in Eastbourne.
The future of Eastbourne Pier
Like many Victorian piers, Eastbourne’s faces an uncertain future. In 2026 the pier made headlines again when the company operating it entered liquidation, raising fresh questions about who will run it in the years ahead. For now, the pier remains open and trading, its Grade II* listing offers it legal protection, and the town’s affection for it is as strong as ever. Eastbourne has nearly lost its pier before — to storms, to fire — and each time it has endured. Its history suggests it will again. To see how it fits into the wider story of the town, read our complete history of Eastbourne.
Eastbourne Pier: FAQs
When did Eastbourne Pier open?
Eastbourne Pier officially opened on 13 June 1870, though it wasn’t fully completed until 1872. It was designed by the Victorian engineer Eugenius Birch.
What happened in the Eastbourne Pier fire?
On 30 July 2014 a major fire destroyed the Blue Room amusement arcade near the shore end. Around two-thirds of the pier was saved, and it later reopened, though a workman tragically died falling through the damaged section in the days that followed.
Why are the domes on Eastbourne Pier gold?
The pier’s domes were painted gold by its owner, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, after he bought the pier in 2015. The change divided opinion but has become a distinctive feature of the seafront.
Is Eastbourne Pier open?
Yes. The pier remains open to the public and is free to walk on, with tea rooms, a bar, an arcade, shops and fishing, despite recent uncertainty over the company that operates it.
From Victorian steamers to gilded domes, Eastbourne Pier has been at the heart of the town for over 150 years. Storms and fires have tested it again and again — but the pier, like the town it belongs to, keeps standing.