Clacton Pier, more than any other British pier, has changed its image in keeping with the entertainment trends of its paying customers over the decades. In doing so it has succeeded in remaining commercially viable and has always, throughout its long history, fulfilled the aims and hopes of its owners and builders.Clacton Pier seems to provide almost every conceivable amusement and is probably best described as a fairground over the sea. This however hasnt always been the case and, like many other piers, Clacton Pier as seen today started from much humbler beginnings. Clacton Pier was essentially the brainchild of one man, Peter Schuyler Bruff, Engineer and Manager of the Eastern Union Railway. Despite intense local opposition, Bruff could see the potential of the sleepy fishing village as a seaside resort, with its easy access from London by boat, and some years later, by rail. Under his personal supervision a wooden pier was constructed, opening to the public on 18th July 1871. Predominantly a landing pier for goods and passengers, it was also soon to become a popular venue for promenading, its completely uninterrupted deck not even broken by an entrance building.

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