SOUTHWOLD PIER

The pier acts as a full stop on the town’s north side, at the mouth of the River Blythe. It was built in 1900 as a landing stage for Victorian steamships and originally measured 810ft (247m) long, with a T-shaped end, which was washed away in 1934. The ships stopped visiting, and three years later, a concert hall and amusement park were added. During World War II, the pier had a section removed to reduce the risk of an invasion. It was then damaged by a mine, and after the war, £30,000 was spent rebuilding it. It was damaged by a storm in 1955, and in 1979, its length was reduced again, to just 60ft (18.2m). A major refurbishment began 20 years later, re-extending the pier to 623ft (190m), allowing Britain’s only remaining steam passenger ship, the PS Waverley, to dock. Owned by Gough Hotels since 2013, the pier is now home to an appealing mix of shops, restaurants and amusements. “A Mad Arcade of Home-Made Coin Operated Machines Built by Enthusiasts” is the description that inventor Tim Hunkin gives to his small arcade on the pier. “In the 1960s, as a teenager, I had a Saturday job with Ruffler & Walker, a company building coin operated machines. I built my first one in 1974 and took it to fetes and fairs,” he says. Tim moved to Suffolk in the 1970s to find more room for his workshop. A favourite exhibit with visitors to his arcade is the Water Clock. Water is pumped to the top of the clock from a well below, and it powers a cheeky half-hourly show.