Town Quay facts for kids
Town Quay is a busy waterfront area in Southampton, England. It's a place where boats dock to load and unload goods or passengers. People have used a quay here for a very long time. The first record of a quay on this spot was in 1411. It was called Watergate Quay back then.
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History of Town Quay
This old quay was used for centuries. But by the 1700s, it was no longer in use. In 1803, the old structure was taken down. A new, modern quay was built in its place. This new quay handled both goods and people.
However, it quickly became too crowded. Most passenger services moved to the Royal Pier. This new pier opened in 1833. Between 1829 and 1860, a special column stood at the quay. It was a memorial to William Chamberlayne (MP), a local Member of Parliament.
Connecting to the Railway
A special track for horse-drawn trams was built. It connected the quay to the Southampton Terminus railway station. This tramway was finished on the last day of 1847. In 1871, the tramway was directly linked to the main railway lines.
Later, in 1876, the tramway was improved. This allowed small locomotives to pull the wagons instead of horses. For many years, small trains worked at the quay. These included several LSWR C14 class locomotives.
Town Quay During Wartime
During the First World War, Town Quay was very important. It was used for military traffic. Barges carried supplies across the English Channel. The railway lines near the pier were used to store trains.
Changes and Modern Use
In the 1930s, other parts of Southampton's docks were improved. This meant that most of the goods traffic moved away from Town Quay. The quay then focused mainly on passenger services. The last large amount of freight was timber from Scandinavia. But in the late 1960s, it became too expensive to transport by rail. So, the timber started coming by road instead.
End of the Railway and New Buildings
The railway at Town Quay stopped being used on May 4, 1970. The tracks stayed in place for another nine years. Most of the old warehouses on the quay were later taken down. New office buildings and Red Funnel ferry terminals were built.
A marina was also built on the east side of the pier. This is a special harbor for small boats. One of the last original buildings is the former Geddes Warehouse. It is a Grade II listed building. This means it's historically important. It has been turned into a fancy hotel and restaurant.
Town Quay Today
Today, the pier section of Town Quay is very active. It is used by the Hythe Ferry. It also hosts Red Funnel's Red Jet high-speed service. This service takes people to West Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
The QuayConnect bus service helps people get around. It's free for ferry passengers. It connects the quay to the town centre. It also goes to Southampton Central railway station. Red Funnel's larger vehicle ferries also operate from the water. These ferries take cars and people to East Cowes.
Images for kids
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Harbour Board Office
