The original 150ft pier was built at Walton-on-the-Naze in 1830, one of the earliest in the country, for landing goods and passengers on steamers to Walton, a very popular holiday destination. The pier was lengthened to 330ft in 1848. Some years later, a severe storm washed the first pier out to sea and a second pier measuring 530ft, owned by the Walton Pier & Hotel Company Ltd, was built by Peter Schuyler Bruff.
The Coast Development Company extended the pier to 2610 ft in 1898, making it the third longest in the UK. It included a single line electric tramway, which was later replaced by an unusual battery-powered carriage. In 1945, after a fire damaged the pier, the carriage was replaced by a diesel locomotive train for carrying passengers. This was retained and used for pleasure rides until the railway ceased operation in the 1970s.
In 1937, Walton Pier was bought by Charles Goss, who formed the New Walton Pier Company. At the time, the pier was home to a pavilion at the seaward end, plus an amusement arcade, a tent that served as a theatre, and the Seaspray Lounge.
Since then, there was a steady expansion of the amusement facilities. Today there are around 5 acres of amusements and Walton Pier is one of the largest undercover funfairs in East Anglia.
The Walton and Frinton lifeboat has been moored at the pier since 1900. The first Walton RNLI lifeboat was the “Honourable Artillery Company” and the first lifeboat to be moored at the end of the pier was the “James Stevens No.14”. In 2005, a new berth with a wave break was opened with added maintenance and storage facilities, at a cost of around one million pounds. The “Kenneth Thelwall II” was put into service in 1990.
The “Irene Muriel Rees” is currently in service.