Royal Pier, Southampton
Coordinates: 50°53′43″N 1°24′30″W / 50.89538°N 1.40831°W
Royal Pier (previously called Victoria pier) is a derelict pier in Southampton, United Kingdom.
The 900-foot (270 m) pier was opened on 8 July 1833 as Victoria pier and was built to provide steamer services with somewhere to dock. Prior to the construction of the pier steamer passengers had to either transit the muddy foreshore or make use of Town Quay which was already crowded with other commercial activities. Prior attempts to fund a pier had been made in 1825 and 1828, and in November 1829 the harbour board agreed to construct one. The act of parliament authorising the pier passed in 1831 and the construction was funded through a mortgage. The pier was designed by Edward L Stephens, a royal navy officer.
Soon after its completion, the pier started to suffer from damage caused by gribble worms resulting in the foundations needing to be rebuilt in 1838. In an attempt to prevent further gribble damage the pier's pilings were covered in large headed nails which it was hoped would rust and provide the pier with a protective coating. In 1847 a horse-drawn tramway was constructed to link the pier to Southampton Terminus railway station. In 1871 the tramway was extended to the end of the pier with a single platform station being built there. In 1876 the trams switched from being horse-drawn to using light steam locomotives. In 1888 the pier was given a new gatehouse.
Over a two year period starting in 1891 the pier was rebuilt in iron and the station was expanded to house two platforms and the facilities to allow the pier to be used as a pleasure pier added. These facilities included a pavilion. The money for the pier's expansion came from part of a loan of £100,000 taken out by the harbour board which was also used to pay for dredging. The rebuilt pier was opened in 1902 by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. In 1894 the gatehouse was expanded and four years later a new pontoon was added to the pier enabling two steamers to be berthed simultaneously. The addition of the new pontoon coincided with the pier being renamed to Royal Pier.
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