1,026ft

There are promenades and then there are piers. This morning we went into Deal for the first time. We walked to the end of the pier, all 1,026ft of it. Built in 1952 this is the third pier. The original one, dating from 1838, was wooden and was destroyed in a storm. It was replaced by a Victorian one, built in 1864, which was quite ornate and had a reading room and pavilion. This was severely damaged in 1940 when a mined Dutch ship crashed into it. 

This one is not very pretty, built of concrete clad steel, but it does the job and is very popular. It is a known site for anglers and is obviously well-used by local people for strolling, meeting etc. The cafe at the end was very busy.

We also went to Deal Castle, built by Henry VIII in the 16th century as one of three artillery forts created to guard the coast from invasion. I think I prefer my castles ruinous and romantic!! It has an excellent moat and car park though.