History

Plans had first been discussed for a pier at Sandown in the early 1860s, although construction of the pier did not take place until 1876. Due to financial difficulties a further three years passed until the pier was open to the public. In 1887 a new pier company called The Sandown Pier Extension Company, owned by Island MP Richard Webster

Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone

Richard Everard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone, GCMG, QC was a British barrister, politician and judge who served in many high political and judicial offices.-Background and education:...

 purchased the pier and immediately started planning further improvements to the structure. The extended Sandown Pier opened on 17 September 1895 reaching its current length of 265 metres (875 feet) with a new pavilion and steamer landing stage at the head. A regatta was held to officially mark the event.

During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 Richard Webster died and after the war ended, Sandown Pier was sold to the Sandown Urban District Council for £2,500. In 1933 the pier was again extended with the construction of a new 1,000 seat pavilion at the shoreward end, with the original pavilion being converted for use as a Ballroom. In 1940 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 Sandown Pier, along with many others on the south and east coasts of Britain, was sectioned as a defence measure for fear of a German invasion. As a result of this, there was often a lack of proper maintenance causing the isolated seaward section and the landing stage to deteriorate badly.>After the war, the pier was repaired and became popular once again. In 1954 the landing stage was redeveloped with construction of a concrete two-tier replacement that could facilitate landings at any stage of the tide, and during the late 1950s a direct passenger service with Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

 was established. In 1965 the pier became part of a royal visit when the Queen and Prince Philip attended a ceremony at the pavilion before departing in the Royal Barge from the pier head.

In 1968 there was major redevelopment to the entire pier structure. The pavilion at the seaward end was demolished and the shoreward end was redeveloped. At the same time major structural work was carried out with many of the iron piles being replaced in concrete and much of the decking being renewed. On 22 July 1973 the pier was officially reopened by Lord Mountbatten. In 1986 the pier was purchased by Sandown Pier Ltd with the provision that the theatre be leased back to the South Wight

South Wight

South Wight was a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough on the Isle of Wight in England from 1974 to 1995.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of Sandown-Shanklin and Ventnor urban districts and Isle of Wight Rural District...

Council for a ten-year period. A further £500,000 of refurbishment was carried out before the theatre was let out.

In August 1989 a fire caused £2,000,000 worth of damage to the pier but after substantial repairs it was re-opened in June of the following year. The theatre finally closed in the 1990s to be replaced with a bowling alley and golf course.

Facilities

The pier has a range of indoor amenities at the landward end, and an outdoor funfair and landing stage at the seaward end. There are cafes, a children's play area, an amusement arcade, bowling and an indoor crazy golf course.