Royal Pier Dereliction

I desperately need more shelving, so a visit to that well known Swedish store was in order. I chose their Southampton store which meant I could also take advantage of a cheeky day out at the seaside!

Having completed my purchases (and spending more than my original selection online as usually seems to be the case at this store), I took a walk around the Old Town and the Town Quay. The weather was glorious with the Solent a hazy turquiose blue.

The waterside along The Solent in this area is mainly given over to modern docks and ports, in particular being one of the main routes to the Isle of Wight, plus starting point for some of the huge cruise liners, that area was strangely quiet )-:    

This is part of the Royal Pier, the first pier opened in 1833 by the recently formed Harbour Commissioners and used by steamers to the Channel Islands, Le Havre and the Isle of Wight. It was closed in 1982 as it was becoming unsafe and uneconomic to maintain.  The pier is now crumbling gently into the sea (colour version in extras).