'Whale' roadway section and buffer pontoon of the Second World War Mulberry Harbour

The Whale is a section of roadway and buffer pontoon from the Second World War Mulberry Harbour, located immediately east of the 19th century Royal Pier. The Whale is made of steel girder construction, with the south end resting on the buffer pontoon, which consists of a steel plate over a steel frame. Originally, the Whale comprised two sections, but one has been removed. It features two parallel rhomboid trusses connected by cross girders beneath the roadway. Each truss is 24 meters long and includes five upright girders with diagonal braces and round cut-outs. The ends of the trusses are reinforced with shaped steel plates that have three elliptical cut-outs. Heavy steel bolts connect the various members, and ball and socket joints at each end of the trusses connect to a cross girder, allowing for up to 40 degrees of vertical movement between adjoining sections of roadway. The sockets are protected by an arched guard piece.

The wooden planking decking is not original. A raised metal footbridge with metal railings runs down the center of the structure, connecting to the landing stage and installed after the Whale was no longer used for road traffic. Several later additions, including access gates, a steel plate ramp at the shore end, and steel posts supporting lights on the western truss, do not contribute to the special interest of the structure.

The buffer pontoon is a hollow steel structure with an octagonal plan, featuring a curved ramp edge and a wedge-shaped section, with part of the ramp submerged. The deck includes several mooring bollards and raised plates, while large hinges on the rear edge attach the buffer pontoon to the spud pontoon. Two lamp-posts and the steel superstructure supporting the raised footbridge are later additions that do not contribute to the special interest.