Manchester Dock (Liverpool)
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Manchester Dock was a dock on the River Mersey in England and a part of the Port of Liverpool. The dock was not part of the dock system, but was connected directly to the river.
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[edit] History
In the 1780s, the docks at Liverpool were expanding, and the Manchester Basin was built to the north of the Canning Docks. It was a tidal basin which was linked directly to the river, and was not linked directly to the other docks. The benefits of turning it into a proper dock were soon realised, and an extrance lock was constructed between 1810 and 1815, by John Foster, Sr., after which it was known as the Manchester Dock. The dock was an important gateway for the export of coal and manufactured goods, and for the import of corn and cotton. With the formation of the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company in 1845, the dock was used to hold their barges,[1] and later those of the Great Western Railway, who transferred goods between the dock and their rail terminal at Morpeth Dock in Birkenhead.[2]
The Liverpool Docks were controlled by the Docks Committee between 1825 and 1857. During this period, the total area of the docks was increased from 82 to 192 acres, and the length of the quays was 15 linear miles (24km) by 1857. Most of the increase was achieved by the construction of new docks, but they also purchased the Manchester Dock in 1851. Control of the docks passed to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board in 1858.[2]
By the 1920s, the dock had become redundant, and was infilled with rubble obtained from the construction of the Mersey Tunnel.[1] The area later became a car park, sealing the remains under a protective layer of tarmac.
[edit] Excavation
In 2006/7, the dock was excavated as part of a major construction project for the new Museum of Liverpool and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal link to the Canning and Albert Docks.[3] These excavations also exposed the neighbouring Chester Dock, and have provided important archaeological information as the entrance lock is one of the oldest in the whole Liverpool Docks complex. Most other locks of a similar age have either been destroyed or extensively modified.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Manchester Dock unearthing. Retrieved on 18 November 2007.
- ^ a b 'Liverpool: The docks' A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 41-43. British History Online. Retrieved on 18 November 2007.
- ^ Liverpool Canal Link Progress - page 2. Pennine Waterways. Retrieved on 10 November 2007.
[edit] External links
- Canning Docks historical map (Manchester Dock shown unlabelled to the left of graving docks)
- Liverpool South Docks map
- Aerial Photo
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