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Summary

The Pier was constructed in the 1860s on cast iron screw piles, and in 1890s the seaward end had a pavilion theatre, while the inner pavilion housed an early form of cinema entertainment. The pier was pierced during the Second World War as an anti-invasion measure.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 447747
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX97SW/36

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PIER (XIX - 1865 AD to 1867 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1855-1895, First Edition 1:500 Town Map (Cartographic). SDV338879.

'Teignmouth Pier' marked, with a small circular building and a flagstaff at the seaward end. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Teignmouth Pier shown with a pavillion and a landing stage at the seaward end. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1941, RAF/S411, RAF/S411 V 29-30 17-AUG-1941 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352281.

A void or break in the walkway of the pier is visible on aerial photographs of 1941.

Council for British Archaeology, 1975, Panel on Industrial Monuments: Pleasure Piers (Report - non-specific). SDV350537.

Teignmouth Pier was built in 1865-1867 to J. W. Wilson's designs with a length of 600 feet (182.9 metres) and constructed conventionally of iron and wood. It is now somewhat shortened and has lost all but its extreme shoreward facilities. It is owned by the Teignmouth Pier Co.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX97SW18 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV350538.

Pearson, A., 1985, Visitor's Guide to Teignmouth, South Devon, 75-6 (Monograph). SDV300876.

The Pier was constructed in the 1860s on cast iron screw piles at a cost of £8,000. Its first owners were the Devon Dock, Pier & Steamship Company, and there is a reference to the first steamer visiting the Pier in 1865. In 1890s the seaward end had a pavilion theatre, while the inner pavilion housed an early form of cinema entertainment.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/HQ, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337326.

Devon County Council + Teignbridge District Council, 1994, Teignmouth Conservation Area Partnership Bid, 4.5 (Report - non-specific). SDV351928.

Wilson, V., 1994, Teignmouth Historic Walkabout (Pamphlet). SDV354751.

Devon County Council + Teignbridge District Council, 1994, Teignmouth Townscape Assessment, 16 (Report - Assessment). SDV351926.

The pier was constructed in 1865-7 following the lead set by Brighton. Originally 600 feet long, it has now been shortened.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

Map object based on this source.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

The walkway of Teignmouth Pier was interrupted or pierced during the early years of the Second World War, to prevent the pier being used as a landing point in the event of enemy invasion. The void in the walkway is clearly visible on aerial photographs of 1941.

Historic England, 2018, Teignmouth Pier, Teignmouth (Correspondence). SDV363534.

After examining all the papers on this file and other relevant information and having carefully
considered the architectural and historic interest of this case, the criteria for listing are not fulfilled.

The resort at Teignmouth had its origins in the 1730s, developing along a stretch of shallow sandy
land, known as the Den. By the mid-C19 the resort was well established and a pier was required to
facilitate the landing of summer steamboat passengers voyaging between the coastal resorts of
Devon. The Earl of Devon drove the first pile for the Teignmouth pier in 1865; nationally, it was the
thirteenth pier to be erected.

Construction took two years and cost £8,000. It was a simple timber and iron structure with a
promenade deck 183m long supported upon cast-iron piles. As the pier was a landing stage,
initially there were few features on the deck, apart from seats running the whole of its length, and
later gas-lit globes mounted on elegantly curved iron arches. Four pagodas with a turnstile
tollhouse stood at the entrance, as there was a charge of 1d to promenade the deck. The pier also
acted as a dividing line for bathing machines on the beach; ladies to the east and gentlemen to the
west. Shortly after, amusement machines were installed and Teignmouth pier became the first
amusement machine park in mainland Britain. In the later 1880s a large pavilion was added at the
shore end and in 1888 a tent was erected at the seaward end, which housed the concert band of
the First Rifle Volunteers. This was replaced in 1890 by a 300-seater pavilion including an oval
sprung maple dance floor. An orchestra played here twice daily, and there were magic lantern
shows and roller skating. The pier was subsequently extended; a 10m long footbridge connected it
to a new 200m landing stage. Other activities included deck bathing from the end of the pier at all
tides for which changing cabins were created. Before the turn of the century the local yacht club
established a clubhouse on the deck, and the swimming and life-saving society also had a wooden
building on the deck beyond the entrance pavilion. They staged water polo matches drawing
enormous crowds to the deck. In 1908 the pier suffered partial collapse when waves breached the
sea wall and the entrance pavilion collapsed onto the beach. The redesigned entrance included the
addition of a tea veranda on the first-floor.

Dating from 1865 it is considered to be a rare survival for its date. Unfortunately, the pier does not survive at all well: the large majority of the original structure has been replaced, and the modern alterations are unremarkable in character. In addition to the expected ongoing maintenance and replacement, many alterations have taken place as a response to structural failures and latterly to modern health and safety legislation. These have caused considerable alteration to the historic character of the pier. The entire deck structure has been replaced with imported hardwood planks fixed with modern stainless steel fixings. None of the original handrails, seating or lamps survive. Little of the original buildings survives either. It is regrettable that there is now so little surviving of the original promenade structure.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION:
Teignmouth pier is not recommended for listing for the following principal reasons:
Degree of alteration: little remains of the original buildings or structure, and the modern
alterations are not of special interest;
Lack of inherent structural interest: what does remain does not possess particular
significance.
Despite its early date and comparative rarity the level of alteration is very extensive and it no
longer has the special interest demanded for designation in the national context.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV300876	Monograph: Pearson, A.. 1985. Visitor's Guide to Teignmouth, South Devon. Visitor's Guide to Teignmouth, South Devon. A5 Paperback. 75-6.
SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV337326	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1986. DAP/HQ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 1.
SDV338879	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1855-1895. First Edition 1:500 Town Map. First Edition 1:500 Town Map. Map (Digital).
SDV348725	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2012. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital).
SDV350537	Report - non-specific: Council for British Archaeology. 1975. Panel on Industrial Monuments: Pleasure Piers. Council for British Archaeology Report.
SDV350538	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1977. SX97SW18. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351926	Report - Assessment: Devon County Council + Teignbridge District Council. 1994. Teignmouth Townscape Assessment. Devon County Council + Teignbridge District Council. A4 Unbound + Digital. 16.
SDV351928	Report - non-specific: Devon County Council + Teignbridge District Council. 1994. Teignmouth Conservation Area Partnership Bid. Devon County Council + Teignbridge District Council. A4 Comb Bound + Digital. 4.5.
SDV352281	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1941. RAF/S411. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/S411 V 29-30 17-AUG-1941.
SDV354751	Pamphlet: Wilson, V.. 1994. Teignmouth Historic Walkabout. Leaflet.
SDV363534	Correspondence: Historic England. 2018. Teignmouth Pier, Teignmouth. Notification of Decision not to Add Building to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Digital.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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