The pier has had various renovations in modern times, including redecking and waterproofing, allowing for operation during winter periods and permitting usage during rainy conditions.

A national competition was launched for "the best design of a Promenade Pier", with a prize of £50 (equivalent to £5,945 in 2023) for the winner, eventually being won by civil engineers Clarke and Pickwell.

[5] With an estimated cost of around £19,000 (equivalent to £2.52 million in 2023[6]), the foundations for the pier were laid in November 1879[2] with a planned t-shape design, including a concert hall at the head.

Services ceased by the end of 1910 due to a buildup of sand at The Wash, which made the journey difficult and resulted in the removal of the unsafe landing stage.

[1] In the early 1970s, the pier entrance archway was demolished to make way for a new construction of shops and amusement arcades, as well as the pierhead theatre being enlarged from a seating capacity of 700 to 1,100.

The pier decking from the main entrance was reduced in length to 127 yards (116 m), with the eastern shelters and the pierhead with its theatre isolated from the shoreline.

Late in 1978, a plan to link the isolated pierhead by monorail and build a new 1200 seater theatre collapsed when an application for financial assistance was turned down.

By 1985, the isolated pierhead was derelict and earmarked to be demolished,[7] due to the building falling into a state of disrepair as the upper deck had been badly damaged following the 1978 storm and it had become a roosting place for starlings.

[13] Due to its Grade II listed classification, special permission was granted to dismantle the pierhead in stages starting from October 1985, until a fire gutted the building.

[7] A year later in October 1987, high storm tides caused damage to the then-modern extensions that had been built throughout the 1980s, with securing of the pier's understructure needing to be undertaken before the following spring season.