With rides and fish and chips, the sprawling pier has been ranked as the very best within the UK for 2026.

The pier has its very personal theatre on the finish, which is likely one of the final remaining within the UK (Picture: Go to Nice Yarmouth)
A sprawling seaside pier with conventional seaside leisure has been named because the UK’s greatest — and it isn’t the place you may assume.
The UK is lined with stunning coastlines, from sprawling golden-sand seashores, salt marshes and sand dunes to dramatic whitewashed cliffs, coves and caves. But what units the UK shores other than wherever else on the earth is its hanging assortment of historic pleasure piers that stretch out to sea, providing quintessential British seaside appeal.
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A number of the most notable embody Southend Pier in Essex, the world’s longest pleasure pier, the long-lasting Brighton Palace Pier, and Blackpool Pier with its Victorian seaside leisure. Nonetheless, there’s one pier that has gone somewhat below the radar — till it was topped because the nationwide Pier of the Yr.
After present process a mammoth multimillion-pound renovation, Britannia Pier in Nice Yarmouth was named ‘Pier of the Yr 2026’ within the annual Nationwide Piers Society’s competitors. The cherished attraction, initially inbuilt 1858 as one of many Victorian timber-framed piers, topped the checklist, beating 62 different seaside piers from across the UK – and it makes a incredible day trip!
Britannia Pier has all the normal seaside sights for a fun-filled day trip, from amusement arcades, rides, sights, a bar, two pubs and picturesque coastal vistas. On the finish is the Britannia Pier Theatre, which has been in operation since 1880, and is one in all 5 remaining pier theatres within the UK, however continues to welcome guests for a list of entertaining reveals.
There are many decisions in the case of seaside delicacies on the pier, with a collection of eating places, together with a recent seafood bar, an American burger bar, and the beloved Krispies Fish and Chip restaurant. For these candy treats, there are meals stalls providing heat doughnuts, ice cream and churros.
In December 2022, the pier was purchased by businessman Joseph Abbott and his spouse, Cherise Abbott, who’ve passionately restored the treasured seaside attraction following a £2.2 million refurbishment that’s nonetheless ongoing. In a recent look, they’ve changed the Nineteen Seventies signal with an excellent glossy, fashionable façade and an eight-metre digital commercial display screen.
The amusement arcade has additionally been upgraded and tripled in dimension, with new rides, sights and meals stalls additionally launched. There are additional plans to renovate the Pier Tavern, one of many pier’s two pubs, with plans to welcome new bars and bifold doorways that open onto a seafront terrace to actually take in the views.

The ‘Pier of the Yr 2026’ could be discovered within the resort city of Nice Yarmouth (Picture: Handout)
Joseph advised the BBC: “I used to return to Nice Yarmouth as a baby – my mum and pop used to convey me, and we used to at all times go on the pier… play on the rides and the video games. To now personal it and see it develop – it is incredible. To win this award… It is an amazing achievement.”
And the revamp of the pier hasn’t gone unnoticed, as one customer wrote on TripAdvisor: “I used to be not wanting ahead to seeing the brand new pier as I used to be nostalgic for the outdated type, however excellent news is, the brand new pier appears to be like incredible and has been effectively renovated, feels a lot extra spacious now!”
“New commercial display screen is superb, the brand new renovated frontage of Britannia Pier appears to be like good {and professional}, effectively carried out,” one other commented.
Noting its conventional seaside enjoyable, one customer shared: “Loved the pier amusements with grandchildren. There’s loads of inexpensive 2p machines which do give out prizes and the attendant even gave us some ‘fortunate’ 2ps, very joyful youngsters, thanks.” Though they famous that the bathrooms may want “extra common cleansing”, throughout their go to in July final yr.

Britannia Pier has undergone a serious transformation lately (Picture: Fb/Nationwide Piers Society)
Whereas one other customer merely stated: “A typical British pier. All of the belongings you’d count on, bars, meals, funfair, amusements. Value a go to, heaps to do. Good view.”
For extra details about the Nationwide Piers Society, go to their web site. Or plan your go to to Britannia Pier in Nice Yarmouth by way of their web site.


















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