[1][3] 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.

[3] Prior attempts to fund a pier had been made in 1825 and 1828, and in November 1829 the harbour board agreed to construct one.

[4] 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.

[8] 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.

[1] The start of World War I resulted in the suspension of public tramway services to the station on the pier on 1 October 1914.

[1] The pier was adapted to support RoRo ferries in the 1950s when Red Funnel introduced MV Carisbrooke Castle.

[10] These calls include a £450m consultation submitted in 2015[11] for the area to be incorporated into a luxury waterside development consisting of housing, shops, a hotel and a casino,[12] though progress on the development past the planning stage appeared to have stalled and the plan was ultimately terminated by Southampton City Council on 23 August 2019.