Southampton Royal Pier (Hampshire, 1905), designed by EdwardStephens.The pier was opened in 1833 by
Southampton Royal Pier (Hampshire, 1905), designed by EdwardStephens.The pier was opened in 1833 by Princess Victoria, four years beforeshe was crowned Queen, and as such it is a typical early Victorianpier. It used soft wooden piles, but they rotted within five years,so the pier had to be fully renovated. The pavilion was built in1894.The start of WW1 forced the suspension of public tramway services tothe pier, and it was damaged by a ship during the war. Some sort ofa service did operate for a while after the war, but the tramlinewasn’t properly reopened, and it was officially closed in 1921. Thepavilion was enlarged the next year to seat over 1000 people, and itbecame a popular dance venue.During WW2, the pier was closed again. Bombing caused damage to theiron work, and the pier didn’t reopen until 1947, although it stillcontinued to function as a ferry terminal. A new vehicle bridge wasbuilt out to the pontoon in 1950. -- source link
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