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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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seaside piers
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The popularity of the 18C seaside resorts, such as *Scarborough, *Lyme Regis and *Brighton, led to the development in the early 19C of the seaside pier. Wooden piles driven into the sea bed carried a cast-iron superstructure and a wooden deck, to form in effect an open-ended bridge leading out to sea. A pier was ideal for promenading in the healthy sea breezes but was also a good place to separate the tourists from their money; a wide range of stalls and even full-scale theatres became a standard feature, particularly at the far end, known as the pier head. For most of the 19C the best-known piers were those at Brighton, but in 1889 the pier at *Southend opened; extended in 1929, it is the world's longest. *Blackpool is unique in Britain in having three piers.
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