One of the UK’s prettiest seaside towns reveals £140k revamp of landmark attraction

ONE of the UK's most iconic piers is to undergo a huge renovation this year.

Deal Pier first opened back in 1838, although has since been rebuilt twice.

And the lower deck at Deal Pier has been closed since April, following a structural review by a team of experts.

While its closure was a precautionary measure, work will soon begin renovating the historic landmark.

Scaffolding will be erected on the lower deck, with work being carried out on the concrete beams and steps leading down to the lower deck.

The pier's lower deck will remain closed throughout the rest of the year, with this part of the pier slated to reopen in January.

Even though the lower deck will be closed for the rest of the year, the main part of the pier, including its cafe, will remain open.

Deal Pier is listed as one of the best things to do in the seaside town, with the attraction having a 4/5 star rating from hundreds of reviews on TripAdvisor.

One person wrote: "Looking back towards the coast is magical, it's well worth a visit."

Another added: "We love visiting Deal Pier, it’s such an unusual-looking pier, it provides a great walk with plenty of seating and great views."

A third person wrote: "The pier is a simple old fashioned pier which is pleasant to walk and affords great views of the coastline."

Deal Pier started life as a wooden structure in 1838 until it was destroyed by a gale in 1857.

A new iron pier was built seven years later. This pier lasted nearly 80 years until a ship hit it in 1940, causing extensive damage.

The pier opened in its current form in 1957 and has been popular with locals and visitors ever since.

The brutalist pier is home to Deal Pier Kitchen, which serves a range of food and drink, including steak and lobster.

Deal Pier was also used as a filming location for the ITV thriller Liar, starring Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd.

Described as one of England's prettiest seaside destinations by , Deal was also named one of the best places to live in the UK by The Times in 2022.

Co-ordinator for Deal With It, a company that oversees beach cleaning and litter picking, Stephen Wakeford, : "It’s all about people coming together to do good things and have a good time in the process.

"Other communities have that, but it seems more focused here."

There are plenty of other attractions in Deal for holidaymakers to visit, including Deal Castle and Walmer Castle - both built by Henry VIII.

Other popular attractions include Deal Beach, Deal Timeball Tower Museum and Kent Museum of Moving Image.

Some of the newest additions to the town include The Pelican, a restaurant run by the owners of The Rose Hotel, one of the most well-known hotels in town.

Other piers across the country are also being renovated ahead of next summer, including the UK's biggest pleasure pier.

Clacton Pier is set to undergo a £40,000 transformation, with work already underway.

This includes the revamp of the Discovery Bay soft play area is currently being revamped as part of a larger renovation project of the pier, as well as a new library and updated cinema.

Meanwhile, this seaside town is the best in the UK and has England's best visitor experience.

And here are The Sun travel team's favourite UK seaside towns.