The Promenade Pier

The Promenade Pier was begun in 1813 and extended and altered throughout the 19th century, ultimately reaching a length of half a mile. It features a cast iron column and girder structure with a planked promenade deck. The cast iron balustrade includes scroll, oval, and linked circle decorated panels from around 1880. Along its length, there are shelters that project seawards, supported by turned wood columns with dragon or gryphon cast iron brackets, topped with a hipped leaded roof that has fretted iron eaves. The pier head was altered with the construction of a station. Notably, it was at Ryde Pier that the Empress Eugenie landed from Sir John Burgoyne's yacht "The Gazelle" after her escape from Paris in 1870.