Stokes Bay Pier

The Line to Stokes Bay and the Pier

It was in 1854 that “The Stokes Bay and Isle of Wight Railway and Pier Company” was formed with the intention of constructing a railway line to a new pier on the coast at Stokes Bay enabling passengers to join a steamer for the 2½ mile crossing to Ryde. The line to the newly constructed pier was opened on 6^th April 1863 with the first train leaving Waterloo at 8am to arrive at Stokes Bay at 10.55am and up to 300 passengers transferring to a steamer for the 15 minute crossing to Ryde. Regular services then started with five trains each day and three on a Sunday.

The terminus  was constructed entirely on the pier which had two wooden platforms, a waiting room and offices. The pier itself had berths for four steamers. In 1895 an inspection of the pier led to its closure for a while and a temporary platform was added to the north of the pier. In 1896 it was partially rebuilt at a cost of £6,000. The steamer service ended in 1913, the last train ran on the 31 October 1915 and the line closed to passengers on 1 November 1915. The line can still be clearly identified running just to the east of the Fishing Club compound connecting to the end of the cycle path in Crescent Road: recent excavations have exposed steel railway lines beneath Crescent Road.

WW1

During WW1 the Admiralty rented the pier and they bought the line as far as Gosport Road Station in 1922. By the early 1930s Stokes Bay was used for air dropped torpedo tests and the pier was used for recovering torpedoes. The track from the pier to The Crescent was lifted in 1933. In 1935 the Admiralty agreed to the purchase of the railway line from the pier to Crescent Road at a cost to Gosport Borough Council of  £1,750.  In 1946 the pier was used by A.T.D.U. (Aircraft Torpedo Development Unit)  manned by R.N. and R.A.F. personnel, some of whom were quartered in Fort Grange. The pier and its cranes were used for the preparation of torpedoes for test runs in the Solent.

WW2

During WW2 the pier sustained some damage from an air attack. During the D Day Operation Overlord, June 1944, the pier was the mooring point for large ‘Landing Craft Heavy’ (which could not moor at the D Day Hards in Stokes Bay because of their draught) and Motor Launches.

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Final days of the pier

In 1953 the Admiralty fenced in the pier. The last use of the pier was by the Royal Naval degaussing service (A.D.G.E.) until it moved to Fort Rowner. The buildings on the pier were removed in the 1960s and the pier was demolished in stages between 1972 and 1976, but leaving the piles and putting up warning notices. It was not until 1985 that the supports were finally destroyed by the Royal Engineers diving establishment at Marchwood, who offered to remove 90 piles and two crane bases free of charge. They agreed to undertake this over a period of two years in seven to ten visits a year, using explosives. The bases of the pier supports are occasionally visible at exceptionally low tides

Did Queen Victoria use Stokes Bay pier?

Local rumour says yes! Some  books on Gosport Railways say no! An article in the Hampshire Telegraph on Wednesday 7th February 1880 confirms that she did:
The Queen accompanied by Princess Beatrice, left Osborne on Wednesday for London. Owing to the dense fog which prevailed the ordinary route from Cowes to Clarence Yard had to be abandoned and the Stokes Bay route substituted. The Queen and suite embarked shortly eleven o’clock on board Alberta Staff-Captain Alfred Balliston, Captain Thomson of the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert being also on board. The Alberta proceeded at a very slow rate of speed piloted by the Elfin, and the steam whistle was kept continually blowing, while a steam whistle on Stokes Bay Pier was blown at frequent intervals to indicate its position. Stokes Bay was reached at 12.25 and Her Majesty was received by Admiral Alfred P. Ryder, Naval Commander-in-Chief. The Royal special train left for Victoria at 12.33 and was two hours late. The railway arrangements were carried out under the direction of the London and South-Western Company; Mr E.W. Verrinder, Traffic Superintendent, and Mr Joseph Dyson District Superintendent at Gosport. Her Majesty appeared in good health and expressed herself much pleased with the arrangements for her journey.

Also Queen Victoria’s diary for 4th February 1880 has an entry:
..it was decided we should go but very slowly crossing to Stokes Bay. No vessels were out and there could be no danger so at 11 we left the house with Beatrice and all the ladies and gentlemen embarking as usual at Trinity Pier our crossing was very disagreeable as we literally crawled across blowing the fog horn constantly, the Elfin answering by bells and unable to see anything but a few yards all around though occasionally it was a little better. We had some difficulty in finding the pier and a man called out “I am Stokes Bay Pier”. It was half past 12 when we  at length landed. We stepped on to the pier and at once entered the train. There was no station only a covered shed.

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Photographs

 

 

 

 

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