The Port of Liverpool is the enclosed

dock A dock (from Dutch ''dok'') is the area of water between or next to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore) or such structures themselves. The exact meaning vari ...

system that runs from

Brunswick Dock :''Brunswick Dock is also the name of a dock in London, which became part of the East India Docks.'' Brunswick Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, in England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the southern dock system, conne ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the

River Mersey The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed par ...

and the

Birkenhead Docks Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; Historic counties of England, historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the R ...

between

Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liv ...

and

Wallasey Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirra ...

on the west side of the river. The port was extended in 2016 by the building of an in-river container terminal at Seaforth Dock, named Liverpool2. The terminal can berth two 14,000 container

Post-Panamax Panamax and New Panamax (or Neopanamax) are terms for the size limits for ships travelling through the Panama Canal. The limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in a publication titled "Vessel Requirements". ...

ships.

Garston Docks The Port of Garston, also known as Garston Docks is an enclosed tidal dock system on the River Mersey at Garston, approx 6 miles from Liverpool City centre Liverpool, England. It is operated by Associated British Ports History Garston Dock w ...

, which are in the city of Liverpool, are not a part of the Port of Liverpool. The working docks are operated by

Mersey Docks and Harbour Company The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC), formerly the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (MDHB), owns and administers the dock facilities of the Port of Liverpool, on the River Mersey, England. These include the operation of the enclosed nor ...

, the docks to the south of the

Pier Head The Pier Head (properly, George's Pier Head) is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool, England. It was part of the former Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was inscribed in 2004, but revoked in ...

are operated by the Canal & River Trust, the successor to former operator

British Waterways British Waterways, often shortened to BW, was a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom. It served as the navigation authority for the majority of canals and a number of rivers and docks in England, Scotlan ...

History

Liverpool's first dock was the world's first enclosed commercial dock, the Old Dock, built in 1715. The Lyver Pool, a tidal inlet in the narrows of the estuary, which is now largely under the

Liverpool One Liverpool ONE is a shopping, residential, and leisure complex in Liverpool, England. The project involved the redevelopment of 42 acres (170,000 m2) of land in the city centre. It is a retail-led development anchored by the department store ...

shopping centre, was converted into the enclosed dock. Further docks were added and eventually all were interconnected by lock gates, extending along the Liverpool bank of the River Mersey. From 1830 onwards, most of the building stone was granite from

Kirkmabreck Kirkmabreck is a civil parish in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire in the Dumfries and Galloway council area, Scotland. Situated in the historic Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, and centred on the small town of Creetown on the east bank of th ...

near

Creetown Creetown (, sometimes ) is a small seaside town in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, in Galloway in the Dumfries and Galloway council area in south-west Scotland. Its population is about 750 people. It is situated near the head of Wigtown Bay, ...

, Scotland. The interconnected dock system was the most advanced port system in the world. The docks enabled ship movements within the dock system 24 hours a day, isolated from the high River Mersey tides. Parts of the system were a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

from 2004 until 2021. From 1885, the dock system was the hub of a

hydraulic power network A hydraulic power network is a system of interconnected pipes carrying pressurized liquid used to transmit mechanical power from a power source, like a pump, to hydraulic equipment like lifts or motors. The system is analogous to an electrical ...

that stretched beyond the docks. Most of the smaller south end docks were closed in 1971 with Brunswick Dock remaining until closure in 1975. Many docks have been filled in to create land for buildings: at the

, an arena at Kings Dock, commercial estates at

Toxteth Toxteth is an inner-city area of Liverpool in the historic county of Lancashire and the ceremonial county of Merseyside. Toxteth is located to the south of Liverpool city centre, bordered by Aigburth, Canning, Dingle, and Edge Hill. The area ...

and

Harrington Dock Harrington Dock was a dock on the River Mersey and part of the Port of Liverpool. Situated in the southern dock system, it was connected to Toxteth Dock to the north and Herculaneum Dock to the south. History The first dock on the site was kn ...

s and housing at Herculaneum Dock. In the north, some branch docks have been filled in to create land. Sandon and Wellington Docks have been filled in and are now the location of a sewage works. Most of

Hornby Dock Hornby Dock was a dock located on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It was situated in the northern dock system in Bootle. It connected to Gladstone Dock to the north and Alexandra Dock to the south and encompassed a ...

was filled in to allow

Gladstone Dock Gladstone Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Bootle. The dock is connected to Seaforth Dock to the north and what remains of Hornby Dock to the south. P ...

's coal terminal to expand. The largest dock on the dock network, Seaforth Dock, was opened in 1972 and deals with grain and containers, accommodating what were the largest containers ships at that time. Both

White Star Line The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between ...

and

Cunard Line Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival Corporation & plc#Carnival United Kingdom, Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its ...

were based at the port. It was also the home port of many great ships, including RMS ''Baltic'''','' RMS ''Olympic'', RMS ''Mauretania'''',

RMS Aquitania RMS ''Aquitania'' was a British ocean liner of the Cunard Line in service from 1914 to 1950. She was designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. She was launched on 21 April 1913 and sailed on her maiden ...

'' and the ill-starred ''

Tayleur RMS ''Tayleur'' was a full-rigged iron clipper ship chartered by the White Star Line. She was large, fast and technically advanced. She ran aground off Lambay Island and sank, on her maiden voyage, in 1854. Of more than 650 aboard, only 280 su ...

'', MV ''Derbyshire'', HMHS ''Britannic'', RMS ''Lusitania'', and the RMS ''Titanic''. In 1972,

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

unit

CP Ships CP Ships was a large Canadian shipping company established in the 19th century. From the late 1880s until after World War II, the company was Canada's largest operator of Atlantic and Pacific steamships. Many immigrants travelled on CP ships f ...

was the last transatlantic line to operate from Liverpool. In 2004 UNESCO announced

Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City is a former UNESCO designated World Heritage Site in Liverpool, England, that comprised six locations in the city centre including the Pier Head, Albert Dock and William Brown Street, and many of the city's mos ...

Port statistics

In 2020 Liverpool was the United Kingdom's fourth largest port by tonnage of freight, handling 31.1 million tonnes.

Marina

Liverpool Marina is in Coburg Dock and has 340 berths.

Cruise terminal

RMS Queen Mary 2, Liverpool (geograph 4556001)

Cruise ships once sailed from Langton Dock, part of the enclosed north docks system. Departures and arrivals were subject to tides. Cruise ships returned to Liverpool's

in 2008, berthing at a newly constructed

cruise terminal A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for example) ...

, enabling departures and arrivals at any time. Until 2012, any cruises beginning in Liverpool still departed from Langton Dock but, since 2012, the terminal has been used as the start and end of voyages, and not merely a stop-off point. This led to a dispute with

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

due to the large public subsidy provided for the new terminal, which

Liverpool City Council Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Mayor J ...

has agreed to repay. Ships which have called at Liverpool Cruise Terminal include ''

Queen Elizabeth 2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship, named as the second ship named ''Queen Elizabeth'', was operated by Cunard as both a transatlant ...

'' (QE2), ''

Grand Princess ''Grand Princess'' is a cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises. It was built in 1998 by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani in Monfalcone, Italy, with yard number 5956, at a cost of approximately US$450 million. She was the largest and mos ...

'', ''

Caribbean Princess MS ''Caribbean Princess'' is a modified owned and operated by Princess Cruises, with a capacity of over 3,600 passengers, the largest carrying capacity in the Princess fleet until June 2013 when the new , another Princess ship superseded its rec ...

'' and RMS ''Queen Mary 2''. A number of large

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

vessels, such as HMS ''Illustrious'' and HMS ''Ark Royal'', have also visited the terminal.

Rail connections

At one point the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company freight railway totalled of rail track, with connections to many other railways. A section of freight rail line ran under the Liverpool Overhead passenger railway, with trains constantly crossing the Dock Road from the docks into the freight terminals. Today, only the Canada Dock branch line is used to serve the docks, using diesel locomotives. The first rail link to the docks was the construction of the 1830 Park Lane railway goods station opposite the Queen's Dock in the south of the city. The terminal was accessed via the

Wapping Tunnel Wapping or Edge Hill Tunnel in Liverpool, England, is a tunnel route from the Edge Hill junction in the east of the city to the Liverpool south end docks formerly used by trains on the Liverpool-Manchester line railway. The tunnel alignm ...

from Edge Hill rail junction in the east of the city. The station was demolished in 1972. The tunnel is still intact. Until 1971,

Liverpool Riverside railway station Liverpool Riverside was a railway station owned by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board and located at Liverpool's Pier Head ocean liner terminal. History The station was specifically used for ship liner traffic, opening on 12 June 1895. It wa ...

served the liner terminal at the Pier Head. Today, for passengers disembarking from the new

, city centre circular buses call at the terminal directly, while

Moorfields Moorfields was an open space, partly in the City of London, lying adjacent to – and outside – its northern wall, near the eponymous Moorgate. It was known for its marshy conditions, the result of the defensive wall acting like a dam, ...

and James Street are the nearest

Merseyrail Merseyrail is a commuter rail network serving the Liverpool City Region and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. Merseyrail operates 66 railway stations across two lines – the Northern Line and Wirral Line, which are dedicated el ...

stations. On the opposite side of the river, the

Birkenhead Dock Branch Birkenhead Dock Branch is a disused railway line running from the South junction of Rock Ferry, to the site of the former Bidston Dock on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The branch is approximately in length. Although called a branch, the l ...

served the docks between 1847 and 1993. This route remains intact, albeit disused.

Quotes about Liverpool docks

Image gallery

File:Dkbkpl26.jpg File:Dkbkpl27.jpg File:Dkbkpl28.jpg File:Dkbkpl29.jpg File:Dkbkpl30.jpg File:Queens Dock, Liverpool.jpg File:Wapping Dock buildings 1.jpg File:Canning Half Tide Dock.jpg File:Ship in Canning Half Tiide Dock.jpg File:Albert Dock3.JPG File:Boat in Victoria Dock.jpg File:Princes dock, Liverpool.jpg File:Clarence Graving Dock's Enterance .jpg File:Dock Clock Tower.jpg File:Nelson Dock sign.jpg File:Wellington Dock sign.jpg File:Waterloo dock gates.jpg File:Liverpool - Wellington Dock and the Tall Ships - geograph.org.uk - 472478.jpg File:Bramley Dock Dock sign.jpg File:Sandon Dock sign.jpg File:Sandon Dock gates 2019-2.jpg File:Collingwood Dock sign.jpg File:HornbyDock.jpg File:Stanley Dock sign.jpg File:Stanley Dock 2.jpg File:Dock in Port of Liverpool 2.jpg File:North Docks Clock.jpg File:GladstoneLock.jpg File:GladstoneDocks-June2009.jpg File:Balmoral (cruise ship).jpg,

References

External links

Port of Liverpool Official Website UKHO nautical charts of Liverpool Docks and approaches via Queens and Crosby Channels'Liverpool: The docks', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 41-43.
Date accessed: 16 November 2009.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Port Of Liverpool Transport in Liverpool Peel Ports Mersey docks Economy of Liverpool