The Port of London Authority (PLA) is investing £800,000 in replacing the roof and refurbishing the interior of Royal Terrace Pier, Gravesend, a Grade II listed building that dates from the 1840s. Work began in September 2022 and the roof replacement is due to be completed in April 2023.
The pier’s uses
Royal Terrace Pier is the base for vessels in the PLA’s pilotage, hydrographic and harbour service operations. The Pier is also home to Gravesend lifeboat station, which is manned 24 hours a day.
PLA’s Civil Engineer Nick Jordan said:
“This is a major refurbishment, which is being fully managed by the PLA’s Civil Engineering team. The project includes the use of local roofing specialists and uses Welsh slate, which is in keeping with the original materials used on this important and historic building. Once this is completed, the interior will be refurbished which will secure the future use of the building.”
Named in honour of future Queen
Royal Terrace Pier was named thus, as it was where Princess Alexandra of Denmark, later Queen Alexandra, landed in the 1880s before her marriage to the then Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. The PLA purchased the pier in the early 2000s from Alexandra Towage.
The Port of London Authority
Covering 95 miles / 150km of the tidal River Thames, the Port of London Authority (PLA) works to keep commercial and leisure users safe, protects and enhances the environment and promotes the use of the river for trade and travel. As a trust port, the PLA has no shareholders and operates for the benefit of customers and stakeholders, now and in the future.
