Saltburn Pier: A Stubborn Relic of Victorian Opportunism

With the weather forecast putting an end to our morning plans and since we did not particularly want to be battered about on the high moors, we decided instead to be battered about on the beach. Hence, our impromptu visit to Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

Despite the slight breeze, nature insists that spring is on its way. Frogs have dragged themselves out of their winter torpor in the garden pond, the temperature has been almost pleasant, and it is still light at half past five.

I once read that Saltburn Pier was the most northerly surviving British pier. Presumably, it still holds that honour. Its history is the usual story of human determination pitted against nature’s complete indifference. Commissioned in 1867, it was completed two years later, originally stretching 460 metres out into the North Sea—ideal for those arriving by steamer from Middlesbrough, eager for a day of bracing sea air and donkey rides on the beach.

Since then, the pier has endured storms, collisions with ships, and even closure due to the threat of German invasion. Yet, against all odds, it still stands, now reduced to a mere 208 metres, but much loved by sea anglers who appear undeterred by the pier’s tendency to be battered by all that the North Sea can throw at it.

One of its more dramatic encounters with fate occurred in the early hours of 7 May 1924, when the three-masted schooner Ovenberg, from St. Nicholi, ran aground near the pier. Two crab-fishing boats from West Hartlepool and Whitby came to the crew’s rescue, while the schooner, which had already sprung a leak, was left to the mercy of the elements. By the following afternoon, a strong north-westerly gale and high tide had done their work, smashing the vessel into the pier and neatly cutting it in half. Around 40 yards of the structure were carried away, and the remains of both ship and pier were generously distributed along the beach¹South Bank Express – 10 May 1924. “SALTBURN PIER CUT IN TWO.”.

In 1974, gales again ravaged the pier, washing away the seaward end. At that point, it was widely declared beyond repair, and the Historic Buildings Council even removed its listed status, clearly assuming the sea would finish the job²Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail – 03 March 1975. “Saltburn pier faces demolition”..

However, the pier somehow survived, helped along by a “Save the Pier” campaign that led to a public inquiry. The conclusion: only the final thirteen piers could be removed. Later, in 2000, a £1.2 million National Lottery Heritage Grant funded restoration work, ensuring the pier’s iron trestles were conserved and its deck beams replaced with traditional hardwood. It was reopened as a Grade II* listed building, proving once again that, against all reasonable expectations, Saltburn Pier simply refuses to disappear.

• 1
  South Bank Express – 10 May 1924. “SALTBURN PIER CUT IN TWO.”
• 2
  Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail – 03 March 1975. “Saltburn pier faces demolition”.