Seaside traditions along a historic promenade
Simple summer pleasures and the traditional sights and sounds of the British holiday resort abound at historic Cromer Pier on the North Norfolk coast
CROWDS OF PEOPLE in bright summer clothes throng to Cromer Pier on a sunny afternoon in August. They carry ice cream cones, clouds of pink candyfloss and trays of fresh fish and chips, chattering excitedly as they step onto the bleached wooden boardwalk suspended over the waves.
Situated in the heart of a picturesque seaside resort, which lies on the eastern edge of the North Norfolk heritage coast, the Grade II-listed Victorian pier rises from the North Sea on a complex geometric matrix of ironwork struts. It is overlooked by rows of tall Victorian houses painted primrose yellow, dove grey, pink, ochre and pale blue, and flanked by a wide promenade, which connects the east and west beaches. Seagulls wheel and call against the backdrop of Cromer’s west cliffs, and waves rattle and tumble rhythmically over the pebbly beach.
The pier is a magnet for holidaymakers and locals alike. Its pleasures are simple
ones: crabbing and fishing from the sides; a traditional theatre with nine shows a week in the peak season; a lifeboat station; and, perhaps most important of all, plenty of seats on which to sit and contemplate the endless blue horizon, which is punctuated only by the occasional fishing vessel moving slowly across the eyeline.
“The impressive ambience of the pier is maintained by the absence of any amusement machines or other modern artefacts,” explains Tim Wardley, chairman of the National Piers Society. “Fishing and crabbing are popular activities, with kits for sale in the pier’s shop to enable people to catch some
famous Cromer crabs. Tides Restaurant offers the chance to enjoy a meal with fine sea views. Cromer’s lifeboat operates from the pier in a state-of-the-art lifeboat house and slipway. And, of course, there is always the fine English tradition of promenading: taking in the sea air and coastal views; walking on the waves in the finest tradition of our Victorian ancestors.”
Cromer became known as a place of recreation circa 1785, when it was recorded that “two or three families of retiring habit” were attracted by the long, level beach, surrounded by hills and woods, and “the simple manners of the inhabitants”. The little town blossomed into a popular resort when it was made accessible by the arrival of the railway in 1877.
Protection from the sea
The current pier is one of many which have stood in the town. The first was recorded in 1390, in Richard II’s reign.
This was the first time that the word ‘pere’, or ‘pier’, was used in the English language. Over the centuries, various structures were built to try to provide protection for local boats as they worked off the beach, and as a way of preventing erosion of the cliffs.
In 1582, Queen Elizabeth I granted the right of the inhabitants of Cromer to export wheat, barley and malt to fund the maintenance of the town and the rebuilding of its pier. Yet little could withstand the rigours of the waves. “A 210ft jetty was built in 1822, but it was washed away in 1843, to be replaced, two years later, with a 240ft structure,” says Tim. “This survived the sea until 1890, when it was swept away. The remains were sold at auction for £40.”
Pier to enjoy
The fashion for pleasure piers in Queen Victoria’s reign, together with engineering techniques forged with the Industrial Revolution, led to the building of the current impressively sturdy iron structure, which was officially opened in 1901.
“You should have gone to Cromer, my dear, if you went anywhere – Perry was a week at Cromer once, and he holds it to be the best of all the sea-bathing places”
Jane Austen, Emma
Costing £17,000, it was built by Alfred Thorne and designed by London engineering firm Douglass and Arnott. A lifeboat house and slipway were added 20 years later. Measuring approximately 500ft (152m) in length and 40-80ft (12-24m) wide, the current pier is a harmonious blend of old and new. The symmetrical entrance kiosks have been modified and rebuilt in a retrospective style, and the old lifeboat station was replaced in 1996-97 with a modern structure, which carefully complements the traditional features of the pier. This was clad with Siberian larch wood in 2015.
The pier is owned by North Norfolk District Council, and its visitor attractions are managed by Openwide Coastal. “It is one of the finest examples of public and private partnerships working together,” says Tim. “The council is to be praised for committing finance for a rolling maintenance programme to ensure that the pier is in fine order.” This is crucial, as the sea’s battering remains a constant threat. Storms significantly damaged the structure in 1949, 1953, 1976, 1978 and 1985. In 1993, a 100-ton rig collided with the pier, cutting it in half and leaving the lifeboat station and the theatre isolated. Repairs were made successfully in time for the 1994 season. “There is always something to do when you have real estate in the North Sea,” adds Tim.
Crab fishing
One of the most popular visitor activities on the pier is crabbing. Some 25,000 crab buckets and nets were sold last season as people of all ages flock to go crabbing, or ‘gillying’: dropping weighted lines baited with bacon, scraps of fish or worms from the side of the pier in the hope of landing a plump Cromer crab. These are described as some of the sweetest crabs anywhere in the world, said to be a result of their feeding ground, which is the largest chalk reef in Europe. Further along the pier, near to the lifeboat station, fishermen can be found with rods and lines, trying for summer catches of mackerel, pouting, Dover sole and sea bass.
Lifeboat station
The lifeboat station at the end of Cromer Pier houses one lifeboat called Lester. This is a Tamar-class lifeboat: an all-weather vessel, with a small inflatable craft in the back, which can be deployed while at sea.
Typically, Lester takes a crew of between five and seven people, depending on the scale of the emergency, and it can cover an area of 250 miles.
A smaller, inshore lifeboat is stationed on the east promenade.
The current pier lifeboat base was built in 1997, replacing a 60ft by 24ft (18 x 7m) shed, with a curved zinc roof, which had been constructed by the RNLI in 1923. That historic old building was relocated to Southwold, Suffolk, where it is now being used as the Alfred Corry Lifeboat Museum. The new building on the pier is larger and has a tilting launching platform and a new launching ramp.
John Redmond is the lifeboat operations manager for Cromer RNLI. He has been part of the crew since 2015, after seeing an appeal for volunteers on TV and relocating to Cromer from Bury St Edmunds. He took on his current role in February 2020. Previously, he served in the Royal Navy for 10 years and has worked as a paramedic. John’s task is to oversee the station, its 35 volunteers and its one paid team member: a coxswain/ mechanic. “It is a full-time job,” says John. There are training sessions twice a week as well as maintenance of the town’s two lifeboats, and visits and guided tours for interested groups. Regular training takes place with teams from other lifeboat stations, including those at Sheringham, Wells and Hunstanton.
“People get into trouble for various reasons. It might be that a boat runs out of fuel or someone gets tied up on a fisherman’s crab pot if they don’t know the coastline,” explains John. The lifeboat had eight call-outs in 2020. “Incidents have decreased since lifeguards started working on the east and the west beaches. We work together with them, liaising and training regularly,”
His team of lifeboat volunteers includes a chef, a financial adviser, a wind farm worker and a fisherman. There are seven women and 28 men. “People join from all walks of life, and it is like a family,” he says. “It feels humbling to be a part of it. It is so satisfying to think that you have done a job well, returning people to their loved ones.”
Family shows
In 1901, when the pier opened, entertainment was provided by a bandstand, with glass-screened shelters for hardy audiences willing to brave the blustery sea breezes which whip along the east coast. This was roofed over in 1905 to form a pavilion, and the bandstand was replaced with a stage and a proscenium arch. In 1906, the first ‘concert parties’ were performed.
When the Second World War broke out, however, the Royal Engineers blew up the middle section of the pier, so that enemy forces could not land there, and
severe gales in 1953 caused damage to the pavilion. The theatre was finally repaired, and shows resumed in 1955.
A new era dawned in 1978, when the theatre was revamped, and a partnership was created with impresario Richard Condon. From this relationship, the popular Seaside Special Show was born, and it is now the only end-of-pier theatre in the world which produces an in-house show, blending singing, dancing, comedy and magic with state-of-the-art lighting and high production values.
Under the shaped roof, the stage is just 18ft (5.5m) deep and approximately 39ft
“The waves fell; withdrew and fell again, like the thud of a great beast stamping”
Virginia Woolf, The Waves
(12m) wide. It is proscenium raked, which means that it is slightly sloped, rising away from the audience, so they can always see the performers clearly. There is a screened-off area for a live orchestra, and seven dressing rooms set in a horseshoe shape around the back of the stage.
One of the rooms, number seven, is said to be haunted by the ghost of an actress called Elizabeth. She was appearing in a play in which her character was to be murdered, and it is said that the crime was committed for real.
All the scenery for the theatre’s shows is hand-painted by 3D Creations Design in Gorleston, Norfolk. It is hung from rails, and it must be pushed on and off manually. “There is so little space that every aspect of the show has to run like clockwork,” says marketing and sales manager Debs Lewis.
When the sea is rough, the theatre floor shakes, and where seats have been removed to provide disabled access, tiny bolt holes in the floor allow a pinhole view directly through to the ocean beneath.
“Our challenge always is to create something modern, yet traditional, within a very old building,” says Debs.
By early afternoon, families are queuing for the matinee performance of the award-winning Cromer Pier Show, which takes place in the theatre at 2.30pm. Debs has worked at the theatre for 11 years, averaging 60 to 70 hours a week in peak season. “It’s not just a job: I think everyone who works here does so because they love the pier,” she explains. “It is a special place, which gets into your soul.” She is responsible for booking and scheduling the theatre shows, which are designed to appeal to audiences aged from five to 90. “We do have a very loyal audience: as well as coach parties and visitors, we draw in regulars from a 50-mile radius,” says Debs.
“People have a perception of pier shows as cheeky seaside humour, but that’s not what we do,” she continues. “In our variety show, we might combine an aerial circus act, a ventriloquist, some classical ballet, a number from Les Misérables and a rock song. It’s always a lovely, feel-good, high quality production.
“I like to look around at the audiences as they clap and sing along, clearly enjoying themselves, and then I think to myself: ‘I made this happen,’” says Debs. “It is very rewarding.”
Underneath the pier, waves roil and crash around the solid network of barnacled cast-iron struts and vast concrete weights, while at the top of the structure, holidaymakers’ feet can be seen passing to and fro in a continuous flow, just as they have done for more than a century.
As an icon of the North Norfolk coast, the pier is essential to Cromer’s local economy and its continuing survival as a thriving resort. “Piers have become prime drivers of inward investment to the towns and communities they serve,” explains Tim Wardley. “They encourage footfall, create local employment and increase prosperity. Nowhere is this more true than at Cromer.”
As the sun goes down, the seats lining the sides of the pier are crowded with people sipping cold drinks, eating picnics and watching the waves. “The pier really is the heartbeat of this town,” says Debs Lewis. “It is in everyone’s interests that it continues to thrive.”
Please note that in light of the current situation, restrictions should be observed, so please check before travelling.