Southend Pier, Pleasure pier in Southend-on-Sea, England
Southend Pier is a pleasure pier in Southend-on-Sea on the Thames Estuary in England, stretching 2,158 meters (about 1.34 miles) out to sea. The iron structure features a narrow pedestrian walkway and a railway line that runs from the shore to a small station at the seaward end.
A wooden jetty was first built here in 1830 to help bathers reach deeper water at low tide. The current iron construction was completed in 1889, replacing the earlier wooden structure entirely.
During World War II, the Royal Navy converted the pier into HMS Leigh, using it as a naval base for monitoring Thames traffic.
A small train runs daily along the railway tracks, saving the long walk to the far end of the structure. Visitors walking the full length should bring a jacket, as wind from the open estuary can be strong.
The local lifeboat station keeps its vessel moored right at the structure and responds to emergency calls across the estuary waters. Its crew launches from here whenever distress signals come in from vessels or swimmers in trouble.
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