Victoria Pier, Colwyn Bay

Designed by Maynall and Littlewood of Manchester, Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier was one of the later British piers to be built, opening on 1st June 1900. As first constructed, Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier was just 316ft (96m) long and 40ft (12m) wide, comprising a timber promenade deck with seating and railings along its length, and a large 'moorish' style pavilion. The pavilion was set to the right of the deck, with a walkway allowing access to the pier-head to the left. A modern feature of the pier was the illumination by electric light, and this proved to be quite a spectacle at night.

The pavilion was built to a very high standard, and the interior was finished in a typically ornate fashion. One of its most notable features, and an innovation for that period, was a large electric ceiling fan, housed in the largest of the three ornate cupolas on the roof. With the capability of seating 2,500 people in great comfort, the pavilion had a balcony that extended around three of the four walls. At the pavilion entrance were shops, and a tearoom for use during the intervals. Renowned for the quality of its performers, this pavilion enjoyed playing host to many of the famous operatic and ballet companies of the day.

As the popularity of the resort increased, so word spread of the pier's high standard of entertainment, and in 1903 the Victoria Pier Company decided to extend the neck to a length of 750ft (227m) in order to facilitate outdoor theatrical performances. Elegant shelters were then constructed for the convenience of the audience.

During the Great War Colwyn Bay played host to many wounded troops, and the pier pavilion was used for more appropriate entertainment, perhaps a concert party or pantomime, in an attempt to cheer the men. Proving to be very popular, a new 'Bijou' theatre was built in 1917 to allow this form of 'lighter' entertainment to continue, and thereby attracting a greater cross-section of visitors to Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier.

As is so often the case, the pavilion did not survive, it being completely destroyed by fire in 1922. The District Council subsequently purchased the Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier and work began immediately to repair the damage. In July 1923 a second pavilion was opened, having cost £45,000 to build. Unfortunately only ten years elapsed before even greater problems hit the pier, when the second pavilion was destroyed in another blaze, followed shortly afterwards by a fire that destroyed the Bijou theatre.

Again the District Council set about rebuilding, and the present pavilion was opened on 18th May 1933, but the theatre was never replaced. Success continued to be enjoyed until the late 1950s when falling visitor numbers forced the closure of the pier pavilion. When the pier was sold in 1968 to the First Leisure Company they converted the pavilion into an American style 'Dixieland showbar', and the ornate entrance gates and tollbooths were demolished to make way for the rather distressing 'Golden Goose' arcade. Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier continued to attract top bands throughout the 1970s, but in 1976 the owners decided to apply for an order to demolish the structure. Thankfully, due to local opposition, this was refused and the pier was sold to Parker Leisure Holdings in 1979.

The Dixieland showbar was converted into a disco with adjoining bars, and this appeared to be a success initially. However, by 1986 the estimated cost of repairs to the structure had made the business untenable. A further demolition application was refused, and the Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier was put up for sale once more. Finally closed to the public in 1991, the survival of the pier seemed unlikely.

Purchased privately by Mr & Mrs Paxman in 1994, who were determined to restore and open all of the pier's original facilities, their efforts were rewarded when the majority of the pier neck reopened once again in 1995. The pavilion remained closed and, after several attempts to secure funding for continued restoration proved unsuccessful, the decision was taken to put the pier up for sale. In December 2003 Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier was purchased by Mr S Hunt who, like the Paxman's, hopes to restore the structure and make it commercially viable. We wish him every success for this challenging project, and look forward to seeing a revitalized Victoria Pier in the future.