Worthing pier, which opened in 1862, is one of Britain’s surviving 19th-century pleasure piers. Best for exploration: Roker pier, SunderlandView image in fullscreen Photograph: Paul D Hunter/AlamyRoker pier is distinctive for its red-and-white striped granite lighthouse, completed in 1903. Best for nightlife: Royal pier, AberystwythView image in fullscreen Photograph: Colin Burdett/AlamyThe oldest pier in Wales (1865) was designed by Eugenius Birch, a renowned seaside architect best-known for Brighton’s now-ruined West pier. Best for variety: BlackpoolView image in fullscreen Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesBlackpool is the proud home of three piers: Blackpool North (1863), Blackpool Central (1868) and Blackpool South (1893). Best for history: Gravesend pier, KentView image in fullscreen Photograph: Ian Goodrick/AlamyGravesend’s pier opened on the Thames in 1834, and is the oldest surviving cast-iron pier in the world.