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Monument details

HER Number:TR 16 NE 23
Type of record:Monument
Name:Herne bay pier & tramway

Summary

Pleasure pier (partly demolished) formerly with tramway


Grid Reference:TR 171 686
Map Sheet:TR16NE
Parish:HERNE BAY, CANTERBURY, KENT

Monument Types

  • PIER (PIER, Post Medieval to Modern - 1832 AD to 1978 AD)
  • POWER STATION (POWER STATION, Post Medieval to Modern - 1832 AD to 1978 AD)
  • TRAMWAY (TRAMWAY, Post Medieval to Modern - 1832 AD to 1978 AD)
  • THEATRE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1884 AD to 1978 AD)
  • PAVILION (Modern - 1910 AD to 1978 AD)

Full description

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TR 18616815. A Samian sherd, among the remains of a large olla, was found on a building site at Herne Bay. Nearby two sherds of a grey beaker were also recovered. (1) Mr. Gough indicated the approximate find-site under what is now Hadleigh Gardens at TR 18626815. The find was made in February 1969 when the road was being constructed: bone fragments found at the same time suggest a grave group. A watch on the area when the houses were being constructed was unrewarded. (2) TR 173 683 Pier [NAT] (1) Herne Bay Pier was built in 1873 by Wilkinson and Smith and was incorporated into the present structure in 1896-9 by Head, Wrightson &Co to Ewing Matheson's designs. It is 3787 feet (1154.3 metres) long and consists of iron piles carrying steel girders and wooden decking with pitch pine loading stage. The Grand Pier Pavilion of 1910, built 300 feet off shore, was replaced in 1974 by a massive rectangular box-like structure and the pier beyond closed to the public. (2) Additional Bibliography (3) In 1893the pier was extended by a furthur 3600' with an octagonal-plan restaurant at the end. Another pavilliono was added, close to the shore, in c1910. An electric tramway running the length of the pier was added during the extension works in 1896. It operated on the conduit principle and had a small power station in the shore-end pavillion. Electric trams stopped running in 1909 but a petrol engine car began operation in 1925. (4) Pier and tramway were close in 1939 and two sections of the pier were blown up to render it useless to invaders. A fire in 1970 compounded this damage. The pier is now reduced to ashort (c150m) the rest of the pier has been demolished except for the very tip (at TR 1688 6936) 950m furthur out. This now serves as a landing stage with a derelict pavillion surviving. (5) Additional bibliography. (3) Herne Bay Pier replaced old pier of 1831 which stood adjacent until 1871. The power station was built in 1893 to supply power to the electric tramway. Fitted with a single Andrews' gas engine driving a GE 50KW generator supplying 250v DC. Bought by Herne Bay council in 1909 and by the electricity generating company after WW1, who added it to it's own system and connected the pier to the mains. (6) Mention in context with other inter-tidal sites see (7). Photographs (8-37)


<1> OS 6" 1974 (OS Card Reference). SKE48379.

<2> CBA Panel on Industrial Mons Pleasure Piers 1975 4 (OS Card Reference). SKE38787.

<3> Industrial Arch of South East England 1978 44 (A J Haselfoot) (OS Card Reference). SKE44296.

<4> 'Invicta' 1975 'The Tramways of Kent- Vol.2' p.267-76 (OS Card Reference). SKE44504.

<5> Turner, K 1972 'Pier Tramways' p.9-15 (OS Card Reference). SKE50685.

<6> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Invicta, The Tramways of Kent Vol 2, 1975, p.268-74. (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<7> Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, 1994, Inter-tidal archaeology in Kent, p 34 (Unpublished document). SWX9353.

<8> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11628.

<9> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11623.

<10> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11624.

<11> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11625.

<12> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Canterbury Sites and Monuments Record, 23 (Index). SWX11836.

<13> 1941, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9980.

<14> 1941, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10099.

<15> 1942, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9921.

<16> 1942, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9921.

<17> 1942, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9924.

<18> 1942, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9924.

<19> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11629.

<20> 1941, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9964.

<21> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11626.

<22> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9650.

<23> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10170.

<24> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11627.

<25> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11625.

<26> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Canterbury Sites and Monuments Record, 23 (Index). SWX11836.

<27> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11629.

<28> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11628.

<29> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9650.

<30> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11626.

<31> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11624.

<32> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11623.

<33> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10170.

<34> 1941, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10099.

<35> 1941, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9980.

<36> 1941, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9964.

<37> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX11627.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: OS 6" 1974.
<2>OS Card Reference: CBA Panel on Industrial Mons Pleasure Piers 1975 4.
<3>OS Card Reference: Industrial Arch of South East England 1978 44 (A J Haselfoot).
<4>OS Card Reference: 'Invicta' 1975 'The Tramways of Kent- Vol.2' p.267-76.
<5>XYOS Card Reference: Turner, K 1972 'Pier Tramways' p.9-15. [Mapped feature: #44135 Pier, ]
<6>Miscellaneous Material: Not applicable. SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry. Invicta, The Tramways of Kent Vol 2, 1975, p.268-74..
<7>Unpublished document: Department of Archaeology, University of Reading. 1994. Inter-tidal archaeology in Kent. p 34.
<8>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/6. print.
<9>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/1. print.
<10>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/2. print.
<11>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/3. print.
<12>Index: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Canterbury Sites and Monuments Record. 23.
<13>Photograph (Print): 1941. Photograph. 16. print.
<14>Photograph (Print): 1941. Photograph. 5. print.
<15>Photograph (Print): 1942. Photograph. 6075. print.
<16>Photograph (Print): 1942. Photograph. 6075. print.
<17>Photograph (Print): 1942. Photograph. 6114. print.
<18>Photograph (Print): 1942. Photograph. 6114. print.
<19>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/7. print.
<20>Photograph (Print): 1941. Photograph. 76. print.
<21>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/4. print.
<22>Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 5012. print.
<23>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. 3166. print.
<24>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/5. print.
<25>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/3. print.
<26>Index: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Canterbury Sites and Monuments Record. 23.
<27>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/7. print.
<28>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/6. print.
<29>Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 5012. print.
<30>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/4. print.
<31>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/2. print.
<32>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/1. print.
<33>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. 3166. print.
<34>Photograph (Print): 1941. Photograph. 5. print.
<35>Photograph (Print): 1941. Photograph. 16. print.
<36>Photograph (Print): 1941. Photograph. 76. print.
<37>Photograph (Print): 1998. Photograph. TR1768/5. print.