Withernsea Improvement Co. 4.

One big part of Bannister’s grand plan (s.p.b.s) was the building of a pier, this considered essential to the success of the project in 1860s. Engineering plans were prepared for an ultra-modern structure but this was rejected on the grounds of economy. The resulting structure was very long for the time but less well built, a fact which may have contributed to its rapid demise. The pier was opened in 1878 and extended into quite deep water, but only two years later in a violent storm, two ships crashed into the pier, one breaching the middle of the pier’s length. The other struck the end of the pier and, in deeper water, all the crew drowned, their collective grave in the current churchyard. Between 1880 and 1893 the pier was severely damaged three further times in similar conditions, after which no further attempt was made to re-build it. What does remain are two castellated buildings that were the pier-head, these said to have been modelled on Conway Castle north Wales (nearby at Penmaenmawr William Gladstone had his holiday home, British Prime Minister 1868-1874, 1880-1885, 1886, and 1892-1894).
To look out to sea from Withernsea in the 1870s would show a scene contrasting with that of today (obviously so as there were no wind turbines then). There would have been many sailing vessels, a few steam, sailing up and down the east coast, some setting-off for Scandinavia and lots of fishing vessels depending on the season. In storms at sea these vessels were often allowed to drift in the storm, this being considered safer than being static at anchor. It was in such a situation that Withernsea pier was repeatedly damaged.
Persons of my generation may remember piers that outlasted Withernsea’s but which are now no more. Mine is Hunstanton pier, 1870-1978. A relatively short pier it suffered long-term neglect. As the seashore is very gently sloping it was possible to walk much further out into the Wash than was possible on the pier. Again the pier-head building remains.

The surviving pier-head towers as seen from the south along the ‘prom’. The pier once stretched way out to sea.