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Town Pier, Gravesend

Gravesend Town Pier
Picture of Gravesend Town Pier
Gravesend Town Pier
TypeBoat passenger pier
CarriesPedestrians
SpansRiver Thames
Official nameGravesend Town Pier
OwnerUber Boat by Thames Clippers
Maintained byGravesham Borough Council
Characteristics
Total length39 metres (127 ft)
Width12 metres (40 ft)
History
DesignerWilliam Tierney Clark
ConstructorWilliam Wood[1]
Coordinates51°26′43″N 0°22′11″E / 51.4454°N 0.3697°E / 51.4454; 0.3697

The Gravesend Town Pier is located in Gravesend, Kent. It was designed by William Tierney Clark and built in 1834 on the site of the earlier Town Quay.[2] Over 3 million passengers were served between 1835 and 1842, but around 1900, this pier fell into disuse due to the arrival of the railways.

In 2000, this site was restored by the Gravesham Borough Council, partly funded by the organisations English Heritage, English Partnerships, Heritage Lottery Fund, Kent County Council, and Manifold Trust. In 2002, this renovation project was finished. They had also added a restaurant and a bar to the pier. When reopened, the Gravesend Town Pier was initially successful, but it later became a fiscal failure.

Gravesend town pier is the oldest surviving cast iron pier in the world and is a Grade II* listed building.[3][4]

Current services

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Since 2012 the Gravesend–Tilbury Ferry has run from the Town Pier.

Unfortunately, the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry, operated by Jetstream Tours, is no longer in service.[5]

On 4 November 2022, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers announced that they had completed the purchase of the Pier, with an aim to operate a long-term River Bus service from Gravesend within 2-3 years.[6] In recent years they have operated select sailings into Central London during high season.

From 27 July 2024 to 29 September 2024, Thames Clippers will run services to London.[7]

Mention of the pier in other media

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It is the setting of the 2017 song "Gravesend Pier" by Gone Molly, which describes a scene of poverty and wealth in nineteenth century England.[8][9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Glasspool, David. "Gravesend Town Pier". Kent Rail. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Gravesend Town Pier". British Broadcasting Corporation. May 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Gravesend Town Pier". National Piers Society. The National Piers Society. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  4. ^ Historic England. "The Town Pier (Grade II*) (1089004)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Gravesend to Tilbury ferry". www.kent.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  6. ^ "London's leading River Bus service takes ownership of Gravesend Town Pier". Uber Boat by Thames Clippers. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Gravesend and Tilbury to London – Uber Boat by Thames Clippers". www.thamesclippers.com. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Gone Molly". Australian Celtic Music Awards. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Gravesend Pier in Gone Molly". bandcamp. Retrieved 10 January 2019.

Further reading

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