A pier appears to be a finger pointing out to sea according to a book I used to read to the children more years ago than I care to remember. They have a magnetic quality with a pull so great that you just have to pay your sixpence and take a stroll, only this one, I'm glad to say, is free of charge. It was first opened in 1858 but a year later it was severely damaged by the Royal Charter storm in 1859. This longer pier was opened in 1877 and it has the facility to moor pleasure vessels such as the PS Waverley and the MV Balmoral
The internet is a wonderful way of getting at information quickly but sometimes its manipulation is obvious. When I searched to find out when it was first opened I had to trawl through a whole lot of hotel listings before I found the information that I wanted. eBay even offered to sell it to me, I was tempted to see if I could be bought through their site but I chickened out, just in case.