In message , at 13:26:14 on Fri, 27 Mar
2015, Basil Jet remarked:
Why do both of the piers bend to face the sea? It almost looks as if they
wanted to maximise pier length while simultaneously maximising ferry crossing distance.

Presumably to be parallel to the flow of the river?

Fair enough, although it doesn't explain why they are opposite each other
and facing the same way, when placing the north pier by the abandoned
railway station and bending up-river would give shorter routes to the south pier.

Presumably they wanted the ferries to dock facing upstream?

It's tidal.

From Teddington to the North Sea.
--
Roland Perry