THE oldest pier in the UK has reopened to the public following a huge £10million renovation project.
Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight reopened in August after work to upgrade the transport hub was completed.
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The project saw Ryde Pier reorganised, giving priority to pedestrians by building a boardwalk that links Ryde Pier Head to Ryde Esplanade, with the bus interchange also being revamped for safety reasons.
The station buildings, including its accessible toilets, were also refurbished as part of the £10million project.
Ryde Pier was slated to reopen in March 2023, although work to restore the pier took an additional 15 months.
Isle of Wight Council Leader, Phil Jordan, told the BBC the project had “taken some time” but it was “worth the wait”.
Read More on Seaside Towns
The renovation project was funded by a grant from the Transforming Cities Fund, with additional cash being provided by Wightlink, Southern Vectis, The Railway Heritage Trust and the Isle of Wight Council.
Ryde Pier reopened back in August, with Phil Jordan describing its reopening as a “landmark day”.
Since it reopened, Ryde Pier has been praised by visitors on TripAdvisor, with one person writing: “How weird to drive along a pier, I’ve never driven along a pier before, so we did.”
“It’s a 10mph speed limit, which gives you plenty of time to drive and take in the views.”
Another person added: “An amazing pier and a lovely walk, seeing Portsmouth from the other side was also great.”
Ryde Pier first opened in 1814, making it the oldest seaside pier in the UK.
Located on the Isle of Wight, Ryde is a charming coastal town known for its sandy beaches and Victorian architecture.
The seaside town was also the inspiration behind the Beatles song, Ticket to Ride.
Sir Paul McCartney confirmed the song was written after he and John Lennon went on a hitchhiking trip to visit his cousin Betty, who owned a pub in the town.
In addition to walking in the footsteps of legendary musicians, there are plenty of other things to do in Ryde, including Appley Beach.
Thanks to its wide expanse of sand, Appley Beach is one of the most popular beaches on the island.
The beach is backed by beach huts and Appley Tower – a gothic folly built in the 1870s.
It takes 25 minutes to reach Appley Beach from Ryde Pier.
Ryde is also packed with independent shops, including the famous Liz Earle flagship store where the skincare company started life.
Other attractions include the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and Quarr Abbey.
Other piers across the country are also being renovated ahead of next summer, including the UK’s biggest pleasure pier.
Clacton Pier is set to undergo a £40,000 transformation, with work already underway.
This includes the revamp of the Discovery Bay soft play area is currently being revamped as part of a larger renovation project of the pier, as well as a new library and updated cinema.
What is it like to visit the Isle of Wight?
THE Sun’s Veronica Lorraine visited the Isle of Wight earlier this year, here’s what she thought…
There’s something very special about the Isle of Wight.
It’s not the miles of rolling countryside, beautiful sandy beaches or even the countless affordable tourist attractions — although these are a huge bonus.
And it’s not just that, having to get a ferry or hovercraft across the sea, forces you to have a proper psychological break from real life.
No, what makes the island truly stand out, is that nothing has changed here since about 1985.
Stepping foot on the island is like stepping back in time to a perfectly preserved previous era, in the best way possible.
It reminds me of a reassuring time of bucket-and-spade holidays, beachside penny arcades, village carnivals and buying a quarter of lemon sherbets for 45p.
From the moment we stepped off that Wightlink ferry, I was taken back to my Eighties family holidays — where the island was a magical place for a nine-year-old obsessed with sandcastles and crabbing off the pier.
I hadn’t been back since my children were born — so I was interested to see if it would have the same appeal for them.
Our first few nights were at the Agatha Christie-style clifftop Luccombe Hall hotel, right above Shanklin village.
If you’ve got kids all you really need to know is that the hotel has a recently refurbished tropical-style indoor pool, an outdoor pool if you come in summer and a huge games room.
Best of all, Shanklin village is a short stroll from here and has a shop selling rock, foodie spots dishing out doughnuts and slushies and loads of pubs, all perched above miles of beautiful sandy beach.
The island is only 22.5 miles across and 13.5 miles long — so anywhere you want to go won’t realistically take more than 45 minutes.
A 45-minute drive from our hotel was Ventnor Botanic Gardens which made us feel like we’d been transported to a lush tropical jungle, wandering among palms and groves.
It backs onto the coastal path, so you could also add on — children allowing — an invigorating blustery walk by the beach.
Meanwhile, this seaside town is the best in the UK and has England’s best visitor experience.
And here are The Sun travel team’s favourite UK seaside towns.
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