Pier Pavilion

The Victoria Pier was developed by Victoria Pier Company from 1899 and was designed by Mangnall & Littlewood. The original pier pavilion, in the Moorish style, and dating from 1900, was destroyed by fire in 1923. It was rebuilt in a less decorative style and again rebuilt after another fire in 1933. In both cases the surviving entrance kiosks were incorporated, but these were demolished when the Golden Goose Amusement Arcade was built in the 1970s. The 1934 Pavilion’s 700 seat auditorium was equipped with a stage suitable for concerts and theatre and there was a sprung floor for dancing. The design of the auditorium was by Mary Adshead, daughter of the architect, in the style of a marquee. Murals by Eric Ravilious survive from this time. In 2004 the Dixieland Showbar fit out was stripped out revealing most of the original decorative features and the original layout. In 2017, following a portion of the seaward end of the pier collapsing into the sea, planning permission was granted for the pier to be dismantled. This work will take place in late January 2018.