THE PRINCE OF WALES PIER

The Prince of Wales Pier was named after Edward VII who, when the Prince of Wales, laid the foundation stone in 1892.

The landward end of the pier was originally a lattice work of iron, as is commonly associated with Victorian seaside piers.  This connected with the seaward end, which was built of stone and provided berths for shipping on either side.  These berths were capable of accommodating some of the largest ships then afloat as they had a depth of 40ft even at low water.

The pier opened in 1902 and in 1905 a railway track was laid along its length to connect with the berths.  For a brief period (1903-1906), Dover was a port of call for German liners on their way to New York.  Unfortunately, as the outer harbour was nearing completion and the gap between the Southern Breakwater and Admiralty Pier was narrowing, the currents between the newly formed western entrance made handling these large vessels very difficult.  As a result, on one occasion the Hamburg-Amerika line's "Deutschland" crashed into the pier.

In the mid-1970's, work started to replace the open ironwork section with a solid pier.  The harbour to the west of this section was reclaimed for the building of the new Hoverport, which opened in 1978.  In 1993, a catamaran berth was built along side the pier as part of the Hoverport complex.

Fishing is strictly confined to the left hand side of the pier facing the Eastern Docks.  The pier is run by the Dover Harbour Board (not Dover Sea Angling) and access to it is via the gate in front of the Clock Tower at the western end of the sea front.  There is ample paid parking in the vicinity and while members of the public are able to promenade free of charge, anglers must pay a small fee at the machine at the beginning of the pier.  Please retain your tickets as the Harbour Board does patrol this pier frequently.  Failure to pay my incur a hefty fine.  Anglers with disabilities are able to take their vehicles along the pier with prior arrangement from the Marina Office which is situated on the landward side of the swing bridge.

There is a cafe at the end of the pier which supplies a wide range of hot and cold food and drinks, although this is generally only open during the summer months.  The Prince of Wales pier is an excellent and often underrated venue which offers a good, safe environment in which to fish in comfort with good facilities and shelter for beginners, young and old.  For enquiries on this venue, please call the Dover Harbour Board on +44 (0)1304 240400 and ask for the Marina Office.