Few sights can be more evocative than the classic seaside pier, with its promise of holiday treats and the thrill of standing suspended above the waves. Join Breathe as we walk the planks…

There’s a thrill to walking on a pier, one that never dulls with the passing years. Those slivered glimpses between the wooden boards to the swirling seas below. One step after another, the wonder of walking on water.

Whether it’s a pier, jetty or wharf, these man-made structures have captivated generations of seaside visitors. For some, they conjure up fond memories of childhood holidays, racing for the dodgems in the funfair, a stick of candy floss in hand. For others, treading the hallowed boardwalk represents a deep connection to the elements, a feeling of expansiveness from breathing in the vastness of sky and sea.

Practical solution

Just as jetties were designed for mooring boats and making it easier to load and unload cargo, pleasure piers also owe their existence to practical necessity. The earliest examples, such as Ryde Pier on the UK’s Isle of Wight, which opened in 1814, were constructed to enable passengers to board ferries just offshore. Santa Monica Pier in California, however, which is the oldest pleasure pier on the US West Coast, had a more ignominious start. Dating from 1909, it began life as a conduit for a waste pipeline, and was initially resisted by the local population. However, its commercial potential was soon recognised by the business community and the 488-metre structure stayed. (It wouldn’t easily have been removed in any case, as it used the then state-of-the-art building material: concrete.)