Its construction began in 1864 with the screwing in of the first iron pile, a pre-planned event designed to ensure a suitably large number of visitors would be present to witness the occasion.

When visitors arrived for the opening, bands of music were playing, flags were flying and riflemen were being drilled to perform a guard of honour.

[7] The pier had a small renovation in 1892 when a floral hall pavilion was added half-way along the deck, at a cost of £12,000 (equivalent to £1.56 million in 2023[8]).

Claims for compensation were made against Preston Corporation, who owned the barges, and after repairs had been undertaken the pier reopened at Easter 1904.

[11] A Floral Hall opened in July 1911, occasionally playing host to orchestral concerts, as well as amateur dramatic societies.

The cost of the damage, covered by insurance, amounted to thousands of pounds, but there were no fatalities, as the on-site caretaker who lived on the pier had only just left his residence to sound the alarm before it was engulfed by the flames.

[1] It changed hands in 1942, with the new owners intending on spending £12,000 (equivalent to £631,000 in 2023[8]) on alterations, but they failed to be granted a license and it was subsequently put up for auction.

[15] In October 1949, it was sold for £6,250 (equivalent to £239,000 in 2023[8]) when it was purchased at auction by Mr. Harry Kamiya,[16] with improvement works reported to start shortly after, following the closure of the pier due to structural concerns several months prior.

[9] By that time, the pier was owned by Mrs Nellie Lister, executrix of the late owner Harry Kamiya and was used only by lifeboat and fisher men.

A similar suggestion had previously been made by a local architect, who proposed an eco-friendly boardwalk complete with a viewing station.