Brighton - Palace Pier

No more than a few paces from the Old Steine lie the sea front and promenade, set off in spectacular fashion by the long iron pier. The original Chain Pier of 1823, immortalized in a painting by Constable (1827), was wrecked by a storm in 1869, while the West Pier (1866), although still standing, is derelict. Only the 1700ft/520m-long Palace Pier (1891-1899) with its volute ironwork remains in use, jutting out to sea like the upper deck of a steamer on spindly iron legs. The days when the pier was fashionable have long since gone, replaced by a culture of amusement arcades and snack bars.