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Brighton Palace Pier Facts & Worksheets

Brighton Palace Pier is Brighton's most famous and cherished attraction. It's frequented by millions of sightseers, day-trippers and holiday-makers since 1891.

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The Brighton Palace Pier, without a doubt Brighton’s most famous and cherished attraction, is frequented by millions of sightseers, day-trippers and holiday-makers every year since it originally opened nearly 120 years ago.

See the fact file below for more information on Brighton Palace Pier, or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Brighton Palace Pier worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Historical Background

  • Richard St. George Moore planned and constructed the pier. It was Brighton’s third pier, after the Royal Suspension Chain Pier in 1823 and the West Pier in 1866. Mayor Samuel Henry Soper presided over the opening ceremony for laying the first pile on November 7, 1891.
  • A requirement that its builders had to meet in exchange for permission to build was that the Chain Pier be removed because it had fallen into disrepair. A storm destroyed the Chain Pier’s remains in 1896, narrowly avoiding clashing with the new pier during its collapse. 
  • Some of its remaining components, such as the tall buildings, were used for the new pier. 
  • Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin (a comedy duo) used the pier to develop their humorous skills before relocating to the U.S. and finding huge commercial success in Hollywood. 
  • The sea around the pier was heavily mined during World War I to thwart enemy attacks.
  • The pier was an instant success, immediately becoming one of Brighton’s most famous monuments. By 1911, the reading rooms had been turned into a theater.
  • The pier was expanded, and a striking clock tower was erected in the 1920s.
  • The pier was closed as a security precaution during World War II to prevent access from an enemy landing, and a portion of decking was lifted. After the war, the pier regained its appeal and continued to host regular summer acts, including Tommy Trinder, Doris and Elsie Waters, and Dick Emery.

Structure and Restoration

  • The pierhead, a 57.6m wide elongated octagon, was completed in 1901. The pier was 524.9m long at the time. 
  • The pierhead pavilion opened on April 3, 1901, completing the pier at a total cost of £137,000. It contained a concert hall with 1,500 seats, a standing room, and smoking and reading areas. 
  • The exterior features minaret corner towers and Moorish arches inspired by the Royal Pavilion (John Nash, 1823).
  • A glazed screen was constructed on the pier in 1906, to provide wind protection.
  • The screen runs through the buildings as a central spine, with its pitched roof supported by pairs of cast-iron columns. On both sides, bench seating is attached to the deck. 
  • A pavilion and a winter garden were built on two of the neck’s broader portions in 1910. The northern (coast) end of the winter garden has a central rotunda with rectangular north and south wings. 
  • The sloped roof of the structure is braced by cast-iron columns and round arch-open web trusses. The pavilion is positioned towards the pier’s center. It has a square core part with narrower north and south wings, as well as a hipped and stepped roof. The pier entry near the coast was restored and widened in 1927, replacing the three original arches.
  • The new entrance building, unveiled on June 27, 1930, features a flat-ceilinged mansard roof and a four-faced central clock tower.
  • In 1938, the pierhead was enlarged, giving the pier its current overall length of 536.4m. A huge wheel and other fairground rides were added.

Fairground Attractions

  • The majority of the carnival attractions are located at the end of the pier in the amusement park section. A walk up the dock takes you past the Palace of Fun amusement arcade, sideshow-style games, and concession food stands.
  • There are carnival rides for all ages, ranging from gentle rides like the carousel and a teacup ride to more intense roller coasters like the Crazy Mouse and Turbo Coaster.
  • Rides available at Brighton Pier include a classic carousel for people of all ages to ride on brightly colored horses. The roller coaster Turbo Coaster features a loop and two sharp drops.
  • Galaxia is a roller coaster that lifts, drops, and spins you around. Air Race is a rollercoaster that simulates the experience of flying in an aerobatic plane, and there’s a log flume ride on the Wild River. 
  • Helter Skelter, an old-fashioned fairground ride in which you slide on a spiral down the pier’s tower; the Booster, a passage that catapults you 39.5m (130 ft) in the air and provides spectacular views of Brighton; with its steep turns and negative vertical G forces, the Crazy Mouse is a roller coaster; and The i220 is a thrill coaster geared primarily toward youngsters.

Important Events

  • Palace Play is a great four-story indoor multi-purpose soft play place for kids of all ages. The space includes a toddler area where parents may sit, as well as a brand-new café where parents can relax and enjoy a coffee while their children play. 
  • Over 50 arcade and gaming devices, including air hockey, dance mats, and multiplayer games, can be found inside the Dome building.
  • The pier was renamed “Brighton Pier” in 2000, although the National Piers Society and several Brighton and Hove locals did not acknowledge this legal change. The structure was still referred to as the Palace Pier by the local newspaper, The Argus. The Palace Pier caught fire on February 4, 2003, however, the damage was minimal, and most of the pier reopened the next day. Police suspected arson.
  • In 2004, the Brighton Marine Palace Pier Company (owned by the Noble Organization) acknowledged violating public safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act. It was fined and had to pay £37,000 in fines and fees after a fairground attraction was run with a portion of its track missing.
  • According to a Health and Safety Executive spokesperson, insufficient procedures were responsible for the fact that nothing had been done to warn employees or riders that the ride would be dangerous to use. 
  • Brighton and Hove City Council chastised the pier’s management for depending too heavily on fairground rides, some of which were erected too high.
  • The Noble Organization listed the pier for sale in 2011, with a price tag of £30 million. The council was rumored to wish to buy the pier, but this was swiftly dismissed. It was removed from the market the following year due to a lack of prospective buyers. 
  • It was sold in 2016 to the Eclectic Bar Group, led by former PizzaExpress owner Luke Johnson, who renamed it, Brighton Palace Pier in July.
  • The Palace Pier is still a famous tourist destination in the 21st century, especially among day visitors to the city. In contrast to Brighton’s general rebuilding and liberal culture, it has kept a classic down-market “bucket and spade” seaside atmosphere. In 2016, Brighton Fringe festival director Julian Caddy condemned the pier as “a big public relations nightmare.”

Brighton Palace Pier Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Brighton Palace Pier across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Brighton Palace Pier, which is arguably Brighton’s most famous and cherished attraction. It’s frequented by millions of sightseers, day-trippers, and holiday-makers since 1891.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  • Brighton Palace Pier Facts 
  • MakeovePIER
  • The Making
  • Fill in the Blanks
  • #HonestReview
  • TWO-Coaster
  • Words Roller Coaster
  • 1920s
  • Seaside Poem
  • Magical Place
  • Draw to Discover

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Brighton Pier famous for?

The World Atlas has named Brighton Pier as the 6th most famous pier in the world and it has made in appearances a number of works related to British popular culture. The Brighton Pier has been featured in Carry On at Your Convenience, The Persuaders, Doctor Who, and Sweeney Todd.

When was Brighton Palace Pier built?

The Brighton Marine Palace & Pier opened on May 20, 1899, with an extravagant ceremony. The pier cost the equivalent of over £2 million today and was illuminated by 3,000 light bulbs on opening night.

Why was Brighton Pier built?

The pier was built during a time when many people were interested in pleasure piers. This was a way to bring tourists to Brighton. It was the town’s second pier. It was connected to the Royal Suspension Chain Pier.

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Link will appear as Brighton Palace Pier Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 12, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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