{"id":1242,"date":"2025-04-29T06:20:53","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T06:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=1242"},"modified":"2025-04-29T13:06:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:06:13","slug":"breathtaking-pier-named-uks-best-despite-nearly-being-destroyed-last-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/29\/breathtaking-pier-named-uks-best-despite-nearly-being-destroyed-last-year\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Breathtaking\u2019 pier named UK\u2019s best despite nearly being destroyed last year"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"An\t<\/div>
The Victorian pier is beloved by both locals and tourists alike (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Few things are as quintessentially British as a seaside pier. A stroll along the dated wooden decking is a must when visiting any coastal town<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Overall, the UK has around 60 piers \u2013 most of them built during the second half of the 19th century. While they might not be as glamorous as they once were, tourists still flock to them when the sun comes out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And now, the UK\u2019s best pier has been named for 2025. Llandudno Pier <\/strong>in North Wales<\/a> has been named the Pier of the Year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The annual award is voted for by members of the National Piers Society. Llandudno\u2019s beloved Victorian attraction, which dates back to 1878, last claimed the top spot 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

In second place was Swanage Pier, a Victorian pier in Dorset, while Herne Bay on the north coast of Kent came third.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Llandudno claimed first place this year due to efforts to revive the pier after it was ravaged by Storm Darragh<\/a> in December 2024.\u00a0 The attraction was heavily damaged, with heavy winds and strong waves completely destroying parts of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The 19th-century pier was severely damaged last year (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An ice cream business was completely removed, an almost 150-year-old unit was ripped out, while benches, panels, toilets, the pier head,\u00a0 and arcade saw severe damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The pier was forced to close after the storm, with the estimated repair cost originally thought to be around \u00a3250,000. It reopened back in February this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tim Wardley, chairman of the NPS, said: \u2018When I learned of this year\u2019s winner, I was thrilled.<\/p>\n

\u2018Llandudno Pier has suffered a torrid time with the storm damage inflicted over the winter,r and our members were highly impressed with the way that pier owners, staff, and public all pulled together to ensure repairs were carried out in record time to get the pier reopened.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018It really shows what a valuable and much-loved asset the pier is to the community.\u2019<\/p>\n

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@kristinaluksaitejiene<\/a> <\/p>\n

#northwales<\/a> #llandudno<\/a> \ud83e\udd17 #views<\/a> #nature<\/a> #cablecar<\/a> \ud83e\udd17 #llandudnopier<\/a> \u2764\ufe0f #weekendvibes<\/a> \ud83e\udd29<\/p>\n

\u266c Desire \u2013 Calvin Harris & Sam Smith<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Paul Williams, general manager of Llandudno Pier, said he was \u2018overjoyed\u2019 at the news, noting that the pier last received the award in 2005.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said: \u2018In the past 18 months, a huge investment has been made by our parent company, Tir Prince Leisure Group, in the replacement and repair of several steel piles, bracing and decking.<\/p>\n

\u2018We also announced the commencement of work for the reopening of the Happy Valley entrance, which is still under construction.<\/p>\n

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The pier lies in the seaside town of Llandudno (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Late last year, we faced the full brunt of Storm Darragh, which caused significant damage to the Pier and prolonged the repair schedule. Again, a lot of hard work was put into getting the Pier back up and running and open to the General Public.\u2019<\/p>\n

Things to do in Llandudno <\/strong><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s plenty to do in the seaside resort of Llandudno. It\u2019s known for its North Shore Beach, over which the Llandudno Pier extends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The pier is beloved by both locals and tourists alike. At 2,295 feet, it is the longest in Wales and the fifth longest in England.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The pier has a 4.5-star rating on Google, based on nearly 24,000 reviews. Visitors can find various attractions, including shops, arcades, food stalls and funfair rides<\/p>\n

One reviewer said they were impressed by the \u2018beauty and size\u2019 of the pier. They wrote: \u2018The scenery is breathtaking and it\u2019s a lovely spot to grab a bit to eat or drink.\u2019 Another added: \u2018There is literally something for everybody here.\u2019<\/p>\n

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@josmith1998<\/a> <\/p>\n

A day on the Great Orme \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc7f\ud83d\udc99 #nature<\/a> #wales<\/a> #llandudno<\/a> #greatorme<\/a> #beauty<\/a> #sunshine<\/a> #cliffs<\/a> #naturelover<\/a> #walks<\/a> #scenery<\/a> #foryou<\/a> #foryoupage<\/a> #northwales<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 Farming Central Queensland<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The pier offers views of the coastline, Llandudno Bay and the Great Orme, a limestone headland on the north-west of the town, which runs two miles long.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you want to admire the view from above, you can take a ride on the Llandudno cable car, which runs between Happy Valley, a historic park in Conwy, and the summit of Great Orme. The journey takes around 10 minutes and costs \u00a313.50.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tThe top things to do in Llandudno, according to Tripadvisor\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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  1. Great Orme \u2013 a limestone headland located on the north-west of Llandudno. <\/li>\n
  2. Great Orme Mines \u2013 the world\u2019s largest prehistoric copper mine. <\/li>\n
  3. Llandudno Promenade \u2013 a Victorian-style seaside promenade with a mix of sandy and rocky beaches. <\/li>\n
  4. The Great Orme Tramway \u2013 Britain\u2019s on funicular, or cable-hauled tramway that travels on public roads. <\/li>\n
  5. Llandudno Pier \u2013 a \u2018nostalgic\u2019 Victorian pier which boasts a vintage funfair and attractions. <\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Where to stay in Llandudno <\/h2>\n

    From affordable guest houses to five-star hotels, there is a range of accommodation in Llandudno. <\/p>\n

    The Imperial Hotel, situated on the seafront, is one of Llandudno\u2019s top-rated hotels. One Google reviewer called the four-star hotel \u2018expensive, but worth it\u2019. An overnight stay starts at \u00a3166.<\/p>\n

    St George\u2019s Hotel is another top choice for travellers. The four-star hotel offers views of the bay, with prices starting at \u00a3152. <\/p>\n

    There are plenty of affordable options, too. The three-star County Hotel has rooms from \u00a359 per night. While the Victorian seafront Marine Hotel boasts rooms from \u00a353. <\/p>\n

    Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Victorian pier is beloved by both locals and tourists alike (Picture: Getty Images) Few things are as quintessentially British as a seaside pier. A stroll along the dated wooden decking is a must when visiting any coastal town.\u00a0 Overall, the UK has around 60 piers \u2013 most of them built during the second half […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1242"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1248,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1242\/revisions\/1248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}