Part of a historic UK pier has been washed out to sea amid battering winds on the southwest England coast brought by Storm Ingrid. Dramatic photos showed Teignmouth Pier, which opened in the Devon town in 1867, collapsing amid huge waves overnight into Saturday, January 24. Part of the coastline’s sea wall, which protects a railway line in nearby Dawlish, also partially collapsed, causing travel disruption between Plymouth and Exeter St Davids.
Cate Williams, mayor of Teignmouth, said the family-owned pier had been in a state of age-related decline but added that it was “sad” to see it ravaged by the “wild” weather. “It has lost part of the pier structure itself, that has dissolved and gone away into the sea,” she told the BBC. “It’s an older pier and it was needing some attention and I suppose wear and tear has taken its toll.”
She added: “It has survived many weather conditions as well as world wars. It’s sad when you look at it now, to see some of it missing.”
Storm Ingrid began causing chaos on the UK coast on Friday night, with unusually high winds and strong waves in Teignmouth also damaging benches, flower beds and paving stones near the seafront.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and much of south Wales until 10pm on Saturday, with up to 40mm of rainfall expected to fall across the southwest in the coming hours.
The Environment Agency has also issued 13 flood warnings for southwest England, meaning flooding is expected, alongside 135 flood alerts, indicating that flooding is possible, in other parts of the country.
National Rail has warned that major disruption to railway services in the region is likely to continue into Saturday evening, as passengers face delays and cancellations.
And local councils have cautioned drivers to be aware of road blockages caused by fallen trees across the Devon and Cornwall areas, including on the A377 near Lapford.