King William III Pier, The Harbour, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, BT38

This pier, which pre-dates the late 1600s, projects westwards into the harbour a short distance SE of Carrickfergus Castle. It is of curved plan form, with an advanced rounded end. It is of random rubble basalt with a c.2.5m high slightly battered wall along its exposed seaward (south) side. There is a narrow walkway along the inside face of this wall, accessed by stone steps at each end. The sea wall shows several phases of construction, starting with a foundation course of random rubble fieldstones (probably the original structure), over which are several courses of squared stone blocks, all topped with quarried random rubble. This stonework is probably relatively recent and may be a rebuilt of an earlier wall; it is not shown on the earliest depictions of the harbour. The pier is surfaced with random rubble and a flagged concrete walkway`. There are stone steps into the water along the inside (north) face of the pier and a vertical galvanised metal ladder at its seaward end. There are also cast-iron mooring bollards and several electric lamp posts along it. Bollards across its east end prevent unauthorised vehicular access. A bronze plaqque mounted on the inside face of the sea wall towards its west end reads: "To commemorate/ the landing of/ Her Majesty Elizabeith II/ and His Royal Highness/ The Duke of Edinburgh/ at this pier/ on 8th August 1961". A more recent circular blue plaque at the west end of the wall reads: "To/ commemorate the landing of/ King William III/ at this pier/on/ 14th June/ 1690".