Seaview Chain Pier, Ryde

1881. Suspension pier at Sea View, Isle of Wight.

1881 drawing from Engineering 1881/06/17

of Ryde, Isle of Wight

1881 The pier was designed by Frank Caws. Construction started in September 1879, and the pier was opened in 1881, with finishing work completed in 1882.

It was a suspension bridge-type pier, presumably called a chain pier because of its resemblance to Brighton Chain Pier, which used wrought iron bars to suspend the deck.

1881 'SUNDERLAND WORK IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
The Engineer of May 13 has the following letter, descriptive of a new pier designed and constructed by Mr Frank Caws, the timber (creosoted, kyanised, &c.), being supplied by Messrs Armstrong, Addison and Co., the steel cables manufactured by Messrs. Glaholm and Robson, and the galvanised iron work by Mr Tonkinson, all of this town. The details stated are substantially correct, except that the piles are creosoted, not kyanised :—
SEA VIEW PIER. Sir, — During a recent ramble in the Isle of Wight I had the pleasure of inspecting at Sea-view — about two and a half miles east of Ryde — a work of an unusually interesting character, being a suspension pier recently built for a limited company, which intends to open direct communication between this lovely and attractive watering place and the main land, and by projected tramway from the pier to the nearest railway station, about two miles distant, will, with a service of steamers from Portsmouth, make the Sea-view route a charming alternative to the existing routes to the Garden of England. The pier has a total length of 1,000 ft., and includes a strongly-built head, with convenient landing stages and ample depth of water for steam packets at lowest spring tide. This head is joined to the shore by a pier 15ft. wide, consisting of two end spans, each about 140 ft. long, and three spans 200 ft. each. The extraordinary light and airy appearance of the structure would lead the casual observer, while admiring it "a thing of beauty" regard it as far too fragile to become "a joy for ever;" and I gathered that during its erection comments of that character were occasionally made by local observers, their idea being that it would be blown down or washed anay. But notwithstanding such freely-expressed opinions, it has weathered without damage many severe tempests, including the great snowstorm this year, and I learn from the testimony of eyewitnesses that during such storms not the slightest movement of the large spans was observable. This conduct in a suspension bridge is so unusual that attention was drawn to the means which it has been secured in this really remarkable structure at Sea-view ; and it has to me proved a complete revelation in the art of constructing by tension and countertension, an art I have not seen taught in books of engineering construction, and a practice I have not seen anywhere to remembrance so simply and practically applied as in the Sea-view pier. The considerable number of visitors who promenaded the pier on Good Friday, when I was present, would have caused any equally light suspension bridge of ordinary construction, to vibrate and oscillate greatly. But the stiffness of this structure proved surprising. The pier is composed generally of kyanised piles and deck, with galvanised steel suspension cables and iron hangers. The cables rest on saddles moving on free rollers on the tower heads. The principles involved in the construction of this pier may be briefly described as those of constant tension and countertension. To secure these objects the deck has been constructed to form one long riband of kyanised timber. This is arched to about 4ft. at the centre of the 200 ft. spans, and is held down transversely by knees and beams between each pair of towers. This deck is kept in constant tension by originally straining it from each end and by counter and upward pull of the hangers and cables. Lateral stiffness is secured, firstly, by the known method of spreading the cables about 6ft. further apart, where they rest on their saddles, so that all the hangers are inclined outwards; and, secondiy, by the arched tensional deck just described. This continuation of tension and countertension stores up force which is ever exerted to maintain the pier in its normal condition, whether the disturbing influences are tending to produce oscillation or longitudinal wave-like motion ; other matters of detail have evidently received due consideration. By this, to me, novel method of construction, remarkable rigidity has been secured at minimum cost and weight, and without encroaching on the valuable clear space under the deck. I hope the engineer of the pier will himself take early opportunity of contributing to the profession a fuller exposition of the principles and methods of his work. In the meantime, I would advise any engineering student who may be visiting the Isle of Wight or its neighbourhood to study this work for himself.
Edwin W. de Rusett, Anerley, S.E., April 25th.'

Frank Caws responded to de Rusett's letter, adding that 'The deck is kyanised, as stated, but not the piles. They are creosoted, and the standards are pitch pine.... the iron hangers, rollers, &c., by Mr. Tomkinson, ... of Sunderland.

Engineering provided a description and illustrations of the pier.

Three suspension spans of 200 ft, two of 140 ft.

'The suspension platforms are 15ft. wide over all, and are composed of kyanised red deal decking 2 1/2 in. thick on 9 in. by 3 in. creosoted joists bolted and spiked to 6 in. by 6 in. creosoted continuous "binders". The deck planks run "fore and aft" and have their butt joints connected with oak doubly dovetailed keys wedged to tight fit by oak trenails, making the deck available for continuous tension throughout the entire length of the five spans.

'The suspension cables consist of galvanised steel wire manufactured by Messrs. R. Johnson and Nephew, of Manchester, for Messrs. Glaholm and Robson, of Hendon Rope Works, Sunderland, who spun the eight cables (four for each side of pier), each cable of 48 wires in 7 strands forming a rope of 5 1/4 in. circumference, and of 1.38 in. net sectional area, and 1090 ft. long in one continuous rope from end to end of pier.

'The suspenders or "hangers" are of flat bar galvanised iron 1 1/2 in. by 1/4 in., and are disposed in triangular order, one pair of hangers occurring each side of the pier every 6ft. apart. These suspenders are connected to the cables by closely-fitted galvanised iron clasps and bridles which by means of short screw bolts bind the four cables on each side of pier into a lozenge-shaped order; the lower ends of the hangers being securely fastened beneath the timber binders by screw bolts of sectional area equivalent to that of bar, double nutted with washer plates all countersunk for square bearings to the varying angles of bolts. Mr. Henry Tonkinson, of Sunderland, supplied all the hangers, clasps, bridles, bolts, and galvanised iron work generally, including the rollers hereafter mentioned, and Mr. Arthur Creath, of Nettlestone, Isle of Wight, supplied a considerable quantity of miscellaneous ironwork not galvanised.

'The towers which sustain the main cables are built of dressed pitch pine of excellent quality, braced and bolted, and all the towers are built in pairs connected overhead by strong double cross-beams and lighter elm arching in laminated thicknesses. The elm for these arches, and a considerable quantity of unpresererved timber used for staging and other purposes, was supplied by Messrs. Dashwood and Co., of Ryde.

'The cables pass over strong pitch pine cradles which are set on galvanised iron and metal free rebated rollers on iron bar guides. There are 64 rollers in all. Each tower is surmounted by a pair of flag poles so stayed and fixed as to form a pleasing as well as useful finish. The side spaces between the open timber framing of the towers are utilised as alcoves or arbours, and being fitted with seats, afford very pleasant semi-retired and semi-sheltered resting-places, obviating the necessity for obstructing with seats the main avenue. Further and more complete shade and shelter are provided by means of a central pavilion on the head. Messrs. Waygood and Co., of Falmouth-road, Great Dover-street, have supplied the handy little crane which is on the pier-head.

'The entrance at shore end has a central gate of iron tubing wide enough for carriages and sedan or Bath chairs, with a side wicket for subscribers only, and with a pair of Stevens and Co.'s self-registering turn stiles. These gates and turn stiles, together with the wire palisading at the sides of the pier, were supplied by the London Iron Wire Company. The gates and turn stiles are flanked by two small deal-framed houses, one being for the piermaster and toll keeper, the other for a gen eral waiting-room. Mr. Henry Cave, of Yarbridge, Isle of Wight, built all the houses and laid the pier deck. The engineer's brother, Mr. Edward J. Caws, superintended the works throughout.

'The design of the structure throughout is stated by Mr. Caws to be the result of the application of principles adopted after years of special study of suspension bridges, and nothing of a merely ornamental character has been introduced, yet the beauty of the natural curves of the main cables has been so emphasised by the propor- tion and arrangement of other features as to produce an excellent general effect.......'

1951 'Isle of Wight chain pier destroyed. Seaview Pier, Isle of Wight, was destroyed by wild seas during the night. It was the only chain pier surviving in Britain. Part of Ryde sea wall was blown down.'

1952 Demolished

See here for photographs

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Sources of Information

• Wikipedia