The Jetty

The Jetty which once stood in between Wellington Pier and Britannia Pier was demolished in 2012.  There now stands a plaque where the jetty once stood giving people a short history of the jetty.  The reason this was demolished is because it would of cost the local council too much money to maintain - an estimated £300,000.  I remember at the time though that many local people were saddened at the fact that the jetty was going to be taken apart, mainly because of the historical factor.

As you can see from the photo above, the jetty wasn't very long, but nevertheless, it was popular with locals and visitors alike.  Built in the 16th century, this was built as a landing fish and also for the export and import of goods.  During the Napoleonic Wars this was used the fleet often assembled here.  And it is known that Lord Horatio Nelson visited here twice.  Firstly in 1800 after the Battle of the Nile and again in 1801 after the Battle of Copenhagen.

There was a campaign at the time to try and stop the demolition, but to no avail.  Sadly the Council thought the jetty was too unsafe to keep and thought it was too expensive to maintain.  As I said, there now stands a plaque where the jetty once stood.  But even so, it is sad to see this bare piece of beach where the jetty once stood.