Withernsea pier: A beacon of hope for all seaside towns

Britain’s coastal towns battle against seasonal employment, lack of investment and the constant threat of erosion. But a town in East Yorkshire might have a solution. Harriet Marsden meets the pier man

Larsen: at home beside the North Sea (Harriet Marsden/WPPA/The Independent)

When native Norwegian Torkel Larsen first washed up on the shores of East Yorkshire, he never imagined he would be the one to rebuild its most significant pier. But for the last six years, Larsen has led residents of Withernsea in a battle to recreate the lost pier – and to resurrect the spirit of the town. Council delays, spiralling costs and successive lockdowns have all got in the way, but the team remains undeterred.

On the Holderness coast of East Riding, Yorkshire, about 15 miles from Hull – or an hour and 10 minutes by bus over flat, Dutch-like farmland, is where you’ll find the small seaside town of Withernsea. It is well known for its marine life, fishing industry, sparkling North Sea waters and a bizarrely inland lighthouse. But once, more than 100 years ago, it was known for its bustling Victorian pier.

Now, when you stand on the beach, you squint your eyes against the wind to see huge turbines on the horizon, and – on a clear day – the Humber suspension bridge. Either side of your view are castle-like towers: the last remnants that mark where the pier entrance once stood, like the stump of an amputated limb. Paul Whitehead, who owns and runs the Castle Cafe that overlooks the towers, says: “This place was once called the Brighton of the North … the pier will be that link to bring it back to its former glory.”