Queens Pier Restoration - Restoring our Victorian Pier

My name is Graham, and I am a Trustee and Treasurer for Queens Pier Restoration Trust on the Isle of Man.

Queens Pier was first built and opened in 1886. The Pier has a fantastic history and is the Jewel in Ramsey Bays Crown.

We are a Charity (Isle of Man Charity Number 1210). The restoration commenced in 2017 and is looking for donations/funding to continue the restoration of this Victorian Pier.

Ramsey Pier was constructed between 1882-1886 in the great age of pier building in seaside towns around the British coastline. Ramsey pier is the 6th longest pier in Britain at 2,160ft. It cost £40,752 in 1886 (about £7 million today) to build and construction took 4 years.

The pier was officially opened in 1886. In its first year of operation 156 vessels called at the pier-head, demonstrating its usefulness and popularity. Steam Packet ships called at the pier on their way from Douglas to Belfast, and other English and Scottish ports to pick up or drop off passengers. The pier became a popular stopping-off point for holidaymakers coming to the Isle of Man and was later used for transporting soldiers who came for training around the time of the first world war.

The pier became known as Ramsey Queen's Pier by royal assent when Edward VII and Queen Alexandra alighted from a royal launch at the pier-head in August 1902, followed by King George V and Queen Mary in 1920. The Queen Mother also alighted when a naval ship anchored in Ramsey Bay in 1966.

The heyday for Ramsey Pier was prior to The Great War when “promenading and taking the sea air in your best attire” became the in-thing in Britain and England's piers became more than just landing stages for passenger vessels.

The demise of Ramsey Pier started with the withdrawal of Steam Packet ships in Sept 1970 when the last ship, the 'Manxman', called and passenger transfers were then suspended. By 1990, wear on the wooden structure and corrosion to the under-deck girders forced its closure. The pier was duly closed in Jan 1990.

After its closure a group called 'The Friends of the Queen's Pier' was set up in 1994 by concerned people who wanted to see the pier repaired and re-opened once again. They managed to get the pier listed as a 'registered structure' which meant that it could not be demolished without planning permission and the IOM government was legally required to maintain it.

In 2016 an Island resident, Tom Durrant, a retired radar engineer, to set up a new group to take on the management and restoration of the pier called 'The Queen's Pier Restoration Trust” (QPRT). The declared aim of this trust is:

“To restore the entire length of the pier very close to its original design and maintain as many of its original fittings and features as possible using public donations and suitably experienced volunteers.” QPRT took over from the Friends of the Queen's Pier in 2017 and began the difficult task of

repairing it.

A five-year lease was negotiated with the Manx government in 2017 to repair the first 3 bays with an extension for the remainder of the pier once completed. In July 2017 work began on Phase one and was completed in 2021.

All the original ironwork above the legs have been replaced with a strong steel structure. All wood beams have also been replaced and new 35mm thick deck planks have been laid. This will provide an extremely strong and durable deck.

Phase two commenced in 2021 with 5 bays, 4 to 8 inclusive. All the planks on all the first bays have been sponsored by members of the public.

We have been very fortunate to have as our main sponsor. Paul Carey and Sons Ltd, a large civil engineering firm in the North of the Island, who sponsors our adverts on Manx Radio and also provides all the heavy lift of the larger items on and off the pier, including our pier train. We are extremely grateful to them and all other businesses and the community for their support.

Since the start of this project a volunteer work force of about 15 people have been repairing the pier and the commitment that has evolved has been extraordinary. We also have a small and enthusiastic group of volunteers raising funds who have raised about ₤70,000. If you feel that

you would like to be involved, then please make contact through the portacabin at the pier or through our website:

www.ramseypier.im

or

Facebook page:

facebook.com/queenspierrestorationtrust