There’s something about piers isn’t there? The sight of a colourful vintage seaside pier stretching out over the sea must be one of the most iconic symbols of British holiday resorts. They are a reminder of the wealth and engineering feats of the Victorian age, as well as of carefree holidays by the seaside.

Pleasure piers, as opposed to harbour piers or fishing piers, began to spring up at seaside resorts around the country in the early 19^th century. These resorts were fast becoming fashionable thanks to the spread of the railways which meant easy access for people from industrial towns and cities to clean, fresh sea air and affordable holidays. However, the Victorians had one little problem – at many resorts with large tidal ranges the sea was often infuriatingly far away from the shore. So clever Victorian entrepreneurs came up with an ingenious solution – a walkway that stretched out over the sands so that holidaymakers could stroll beside the sea no matter what state the tide was in.

The very first pier in Britain was built in the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight in 1814 and many others soon followed. But sadly, since the heyday of the Victorian era the great British seaside pier has had something of a chequered history. At the turn of the twentieth century there were over 100 piers around the country, but today it is just half that number. Their demise has been blamed on rise of the foreign package holiday and maintenance costs to these impressive, but enormous, structures.

Stunning Aberystwyth Pier at sunset

Along the Welsh coast however, we’ve got plenty of gorgeous piers to shout about, so if you’re looking for a fabulous day out this May half term then why not try one of our beautiful North Wales piers for a vintage seaside day out?

• Beaumaris Pier – Beaumaris Pier was restored to its former glory in 2011, complete with a floating pontoon for pleasure boat offering day trips to Puffin Island.
• Bangor Pier – Garth Pier, as it’s known, was opened in 1896 and was over 1,500 feet long.
• Aberystwyth Pier – the Royal Pier in Aberystwyth was the first pier in Wales to open in 1865. It’s now considerably shorter than when it was first built – thanks to some fierce storms.
• Llandudno Pier – Opened in August 1877 and standing at a whopping 2,295 feet long, Llandudno Pier is the longest in Wales, and the 5th longest in Britain!

Bangor’s Garth Pier (wikicommons)