Eastbourne Pier

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**Eastbourne Pier**
Eastbourne Pier entrance
Official name	Eastbourne Pier
Type	Pleasure Pier
Locale	Eastbourne, East Sussex
Design	Eugenius Birch
Total length	1000ft (303m)
Opening date	August 5, 1872

Eastbourne Pier is a seaside pleasure pier in Eastbourne, East Sussex, on the south coast of England.

Work on the pier began on 16th April 1866 and it was opened by Lord Edward Cavendish on June 13, 1870, although it was not actually completed until two years later. On New Years Day 1877 the landward half was swept away in a storm. It was rebuilt at a higher level, creating a drop towards the end of the pier. The pier is effectively built on stilts that rest in cups on the sea-bed allowing the whole structure to move during rough weather. It is 303 metres (1000 feet) long. During World War Two the decking was removed and machine guns were installed in the theatre providing a useful point from where to repel any attempted enemy landings.

The pier features a camera obscura which existed in Victorian times but was restored in 2003. A number of traditional pier theatres were built over the years but after the last one was destroyed by fire in 1970 it was replaced by a nightclub and bar which remain to this day. On the landward half of the pier stands a fish and chip kiosk, an amusement arcade and a fast food outlet. Further out as well as the club there is a cafe, a restaurant, a glassblower, a clothes shop and a tattoo parlour.