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1884 - The Esplanade on Penarth seafront is built
A long and elegant carriage road was designed to connect Marine Parade and Plymouth Road. At thirty-six feet wide it created a circular road around Penarth and provided an inviting promenade for strollers.

1885 - Penarth swimming baths are opened
Located on the seafront and costing £7,000 to build this was a classic example of Penarth’s Victorian architecture. The baths were fed with saltwater from the Bristol Channel which was stored in reservoirs below Alexandra Park and filtered before filling the bathing pools.

1887 - The Esplanade Hotel opens
A grand hotel that was the infamous home of the Barbarian rugby team for over 75 years. Every Easter the team stayed at “The Esp” for their Easter tour of Wales. The annual Good Friday game against the Barbarians was the highlight of the year for Penarth Rugby club. The first match took place in 1901, and over the next seventy-five encounters. Penarth won eleven games, drew four and lost sixty.

1890s - Ferry company P&A Campbell Ltd start to run Paddle Steamer excursions in the Bristol Channel
Their White Funnel Fleet dominated Paddle Steamer operations along the South coast of England and in the Bristol Channel well in to the 20th Century. They were one of the biggest attractions for visitors to Penarth.

1894 - Penarth Promenade and Landing Company Ltd is formed
They put plans forward to build a Pier at Penarth with the intention of developing the town as a high-class Victorian seaside resort.

1895 - Penarth Pier opens
The Pier was designed by H.F. Edwards and build by contractors James and Arthur Mayoh of Manchester, also responsible for the Piers at Great Yarmouth and Morecambe. The design was relatively plains, but the traceried balcony railings around the decking were intricate and ornate, as were the two shops that stood either side of the entrance with their tall, pointed lead-covered roofs.

The grand opening saw a large crowd gather to witness this monumentous event. The Pier was adorned with bunting, Cogan Brass Band attended the ceremony, and two pleasure steamers Bonnie Doon and Waverley were the first vessels to call at the newly opened Pier. A toll was charged for all passengers and landed goods, as well as promenaders who wished to walk the length of the Pier.

1907 - A wooden Pavilion, known as the Penarth Pier Bijou Pavilion, is built at the end of the Pier to house concerts and musical variety performances
The great success of Penarth Pier saw the Pier Company invest in this venue for entertaining the public. It was thought that if Penarth did not have a Pavilion then holiday makers would go elsewhere.

1910 - Penarth is growing as a popular seaside resort, boasting shops and tea rooms
Salter’s Pier Cafe and Tea Gardens were the most popular. Salter’s occupied the right-hand shop on the Pier entrance. Refreshments were also available in the Esplanade Hotel, and on the Northern end of the beach were tented refreshment stalls.

1914 - War is declared, but with little immediate impact on Penarth and the Pier
The Paddle Steamers were requisitioned for conversion to minesweepers, but many visitors would not consider the trip across the Channel with the German U-Boats out there.

Penarth Pier was requisitioned by the army and a single searchlight was positioned on the seaward end to provide illumination for the entry to Cardiff Docks. Soldiers were billeted in the various shops along the Esplanade and on the rough ground between the Beach Shelter and Yacht Club.

1917 - The Royal Engineers move onto Penarth Head
The Army were then nominally in charge of the Pier, with very limited use by the public.

1918 - At the end of hostilities, the Pier is left in a poor state with much damage and a considerable amount of work is needed

1922 - The Pier Company put a claim in to the War Compensation Court
The claim for £7,228 was rejected and the Pier Company were left unable to carry out any repair work on the Pier and landing stage. The dilapidated Pier was largely unusable, and no Pleasure Steamers could call. The Pier had become a deterrent to trade in Penarth, and something had to be done.

1923 - The Council offer £5,000 to buy the Pier
They wanted to develop the Pier as an amenity, in order to assist the growth of Penarth as a popular holiday resort. Their plans included the construction of a new Pavilion on the Esplanade end of the Pier and a new landing stage allowing the important Paddle Steamer trade to return to Penarth.

1926 - The new landing stage is completed
Charles Percy Deverall, Chairman of Penarth Urban District Council, cut the ribbon and Paddle Steamer Glen Avon was the first vessel to call there. The Paddle Steamer trade proved to be a valuable source of income and attracted visitors to Penarth for many years to come.

1927 - Twenty-one year old Kathleen Thomas is the first person to swim across the Bristol Channel
The distance was 18 miles from Penarth to Weston Super Mare, and a plaque still exists on the pier to commemorate the achievement.

1929 - The New Pier Pavilion is opened to the public
Designed to hold 600 people and at a cost of nearly £9,000, there were six shops, cloakrooms, a tea lounge and terrace, as well as a promenade around each side of the Pavilion. Inside could be found a large hall, balcony seating and a stage.

The opening night was promised to be one of the biggest social events ever held in Penarth, and the Western Mail commented that finally, “Penarth can boast of having a sea front equal to that of any of its rivals.”

1929 - A Memorial clock is presented to the new Pavilion building
Donated by Mrs Esther Harries in memory of her late husband Hyman and their son Solomon who were killed in the First World War. The clock can still be seen there today.

1931 - A fire starts on the Pier
A serious fire destroyed the original wooden Bijou Pavilion, but following the success of the new Pier Pavilion it was not replaced. A large portion of the Pier was damaged, but repairs were fast and the Pier was running as normal by the following year.

1932 - The Pavilion is made into a cinema
Public tastes are changing, and the introduction of talking pictures saw the growing popularity of Penarth’s cinemas. With the Pavilion losing trade, it came as no surprise when it was transformed into a cinema.

The Grand opening was Easter Monday, with two feature films “Bad Girl” starring Sally Eilers and James Dunne, and “Two Crowded Hours”. Initially it drew large crowds, with standing room only. However, its success was short lived, and in June 1933 the cinema closed.

1934 - The Council lease the Pavilion to a group of local business men who propose to turn it into a Dance Hall
Originally going to be called The Dansart, by the time it opened the name “The Marina” had been adopted. A new floor was laid, which soon became known as one of the finest dance floors in the area. The opening night saw hundreds dancing to live music, and a regular programme of dances followed.

1935 - The following summers see holiday-makers flock to Penarth in their thousands
Visitors enjoyed the Pleasure Steamers and promenading on the Pier. Loudspeakers provided background music on the Esplanade, while visitors walked along the cliff tops, bathed in the sea, visited the cafes, golf courses and the swimming baths, and each evening The Marina offered dancing.

1939 - World War II is declared
Dances and concerts continued at the Pavilion. Penarth became a reception centre for thousands of RAF conscripts who, along with Army and Navy personnel, regularly packed out the Marina.

Campbell’s steam trips were cancelled with the Bristol Channel paddlers immediately called up for service. Penarth Pier was closed to the public, but limited public use did return slowly.

1940 - Penarth is targeted by enemy bombers and there is an increased risk of air raid
It was ordered that all deckchairs were vacated from the Pier each day at sunset, to aid blackout regulations.

1942 - American troops arrive in Penarth
A US Navy base is established in Penarth Docks, which sees American servicemen in Penarth. They would attend dances at The Marina, and their smart uniforms and movie-star accents won over the hearts of many Penarth women. Many of these so-called “GI Brides” moved to America when the war was over.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in style in Penarth. With most soldiers unable to spend the day as a holiday, a dance is arranged in the Marina Ballroom.

1945 - VE Day is celebrated in Penarth
A fancy dress parade was organised and there was dancing until midnight at the Marina Ballroom - but it was so crowded nobody could move on the dance floor!

1946 - The Marina officially re-opens after the War
The Marina resumed its busy programme of dances, with Easter time always extremely popular. This was when the Barbarian Rugby club would take up residence across the road int he Esplanade Hotel, attending regular dances at The Marina.

1947 - The 10,000 ton Port Royal Park collides with the Pier
Strong winds and strong tides caused the vessel to collide with the Pier. The bows of the ship landed only a few feet from the Pavilion where a dance was taking place. The significant damage saw the Pier closed for two years and cost £28,000 in repairs - nearly all the decking had been shattered and over seventy supporting columns were damaged.

1949 - The Pier re-opens after two years of severely reduced income and repair work

1956 - Razzle Dazzle Rock’n’Roll club is started
Noticing changes in music tastes and fashions in the 50s, a bouncer at The Marina started a record hop on a Tuesday night for the growing fans of Rock’n’Roll music. Records were played, live bands performed and a new era of dancing had begun.

1959 - P&A Campbell’s Steamers experience a decline in trade
Motor cars were threatening the pleasure Steamers’ trade, and the company struggled as the appeal of spending the whole day on one beach or Pier was becoming less attractive, and increased mobility meant several places could be visited in one day.

1960 - Miner’s Fortnight is becoming a vital part of the South Wales holiday scene
The mines and other industries closed down for the last week of July and the first week of August, and resorts like Penarth enjoyed a surge of families that would visit the seaside for their summer break.

1961 - Gene Vincent performs at The Marina
The show was part of his 1961 European Tour, only a year after Gene Vincent had been involved in a serious car crash that killed Rock and Roll pioneer Eddie Cochran. It proved a great success and is remember by many Penarth residents.

1964 - Penarth Town Council extended annual weekend carnival into Penarth Holiday Week

1966 - Campbell’s White Funnel Vessel Bristol Queen collides with the Pier
Thick fog caused the vessel to misjudge its mooring, crashing into the Pier and causing serious damage - the ornate railings were ruined, and power lines to the shops were severed. Repairs cost over £2,000.

1968 - Vale of Glamorgan Council constructs a multi-storey car park with amusement arcades and a cafe
This was unsuccessful as not only did it fail to match any local architecture, or win over any hearts for its looks, but it even failed to pay its way. It was demolished in 2002.

1970 - The Marina is leased by Ken Jones, who refurbished it and renames it “The Commodore”
Its popularity through the days of disco saw it remain a central place for socialising in Penarth, with a popular bar upstairs called The French Suite. While there were not as many organised dances, it was a popular venue for parties and functions.

1970 - The future of the Pier is uncertain
Along with the diminishing Paddle Steamer traffic, changing recreational needs and the lure of cheap continental holidays led to a decline in the number of visitors to Penarth. The resulting diminishing income threatened the upkeep of the Pier.

1974 - The Waverley is bought by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society
The Waverley was retired from service in 1974, however as the worlds only sea-going Paddle Steamer the preservation of this vessel was extremely important. It was sold to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society and is still running summer trips today.

1974 - The Pier and Pavilion undergo a change of ownership
The Pier and Pavilion were then under the remit of the new Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council

1977 - The Esplanade Hotel is destroyed by fire
It had presided over the seafront for almost a century, most famous as the spiritual home of the Barbarians Rugby Club. The burnt out building was not demolished until the late 80s, and remained as a scar on the seafront for years.

1980 - The Commodore continues to be a popular venue for dances and functions, and is later used as a snooker club

1981 - P&A Campbell Ltd cease operations
This saw a decline in visitors to Penarth as Paddle Steamer trips were no longer embarking from Penarth.

1985 - The Pier toll is abolished
The Pier was no longer to provide an income, but was to become an amenity for Penarth and its visitors.

1986 - The final Easter Good Friday game is played between Penarth and the Barbarians
By this time Penarth had slipped from its former prominent position in Welsh rugby, but the match was still a great end to an era of rugby that is now associated with Penarth’s seafront.

1986 - The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society reinstates the Balmoral
Joining the Waverley on regular trips to Penarth, the Pier once again became a central point for Bristol Channel cruises. It is estimated that over 30,000 people embark on these pleasure cruises each year.

1994 - As the centenary of Penarth Pier approached, restoration of the Pier begins
Vale of Glamorgan Council made repairs to structural work at the Pier entrance at a cost of £650,000. A further £1.7m in repairs, this time to the steelwork, decking and facilities on the main structure, were made in 1996.

1995 - Penarth Pavilion becomes the home of Penarth Gymnastics Club who use the space as their training centre

1998 - The Pier is officially re-opened after major repairs
It was celebrated with a Victorian Fayre, concerts and entertainment on the Pier.

2006 - The Pavilion is in need of significant repair work to prevent the loss of this iconic building
While the Pier had undergone extensive repairs, the Pavilion was deteriorating. The Vale Council began to work with Penarth Arts and Crafts Ltd who had a history of developing building of cultural significance in Penarth, and plans began to form for the redevelopment of Penarth Pavilion.

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