Things To Discover
The seaside resort of Southend is only about 200 years old, and for most of that time, there has been a pier to welcome visitors arriving by ship.
Later, with the arrival of the railway in 1856, the Pier turned into a leisure attraction in its own right.
William Bradley
- The Victorian pierhead and lightkeeper who lived at the end of the Pier.
- He won a number of awards for bravery for saving a number of people from drowning
The Pier at War
- The Pier was closed to visitors and The Royal Navy took it over in September 1939.
- It was known as HMS Leigh
- It was an important assembly point for convoys
Disasters
- As early as 1881 when there was a great storm there have been documented collisions of boats hitting the Pier.
- There have been fires at both ends of the Pier which have devastated the Pier substructure.
