Timbo's Liverpool - Liverpool Docks

The development of the docks in Liverpool began in the early eighteenth century. Before then trade was limited by the tides and currents of the River Mersey. As work began on the seven and a half miles of docks, Liverpool quickly established itself as one of the biggest ports in the world. The vital role of the Docks and it's connections throughout the world made the City the biggest target outside London during World War II.Despite the war and other setbacks, the Docks continued to thrive. However, as new cargo handling methods developed in the late 1950's, Liverpool lost out to modern container ports throughout the country.

	The Stanley Dock warehouse was built in 1848. The dock itself links to the Liverpool and Leeds Canal. It also stands apart from all the other Docks in that it was built on the landside of the dock road.
	Directly opposite the Stanley Dock Warehouse stands The Tobacco Warehouse (left). Built in 1900 it was the biggest building in the world at the time. Even today, it remains the world's largest brick warehouse. While the Tobacco warehouse is partly used as a popular Sunday market, both buildings await much-needed restoration and redevelopment.
	Such redevelopment was undertaken on the Albert Dock in the early 1980's. The Merseyside Development Corporation was established and work was fully completed in 1988. The Dock is named after Prince Albert who officially opened the original Dock in 1846.
	Now home to Granada Television, the Dock Traffic Office was built in 1847 and was part of the important redevelopment of the Albert Dock. The sheer magnificence of it's cast iron frontage is often overlooked by visitors. The building was designed by Phillip Hardwick, with the top storey added by Jesse Hartley.
	In his thirty six year reign as Dock engineer (1824-1860), Jesse Hartley built sixteen docks in total. The Albert Dock being his most monumental achievement. He was described as a meticulous perfectionist, nothing detered him nor escaped his attention. His buildings- that still stand to this day, whilst others have long since crumbled- are testimony to his work. Victoria Tower, another Hartley design, stands at Salisbury Dock and is a lesser known Mersey waterfront feature. It has a unique six faced-clock with a bell which was used to signal high tide and ring out other warnings. "Mr Hartley's works are intended for posterity" - Alexander Gage, 1841.

Today, the Docks have taken on a very different role. Redevelopment and restoration in the early eighties have established the Albert Dock as one of the Country's largest tourist attractions. The Albert Dock is the largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings in Britain. Amazingly, the intervention of Merseyside Development Corporation prevented the Docks from becoming a car park.
The redevelopment of the Albert Dock has brought with it investment in shops, pubs, cafe-bars. The Albert Dock also offers numerous Galleries and Museums, such as The Beatles Story (right) situated beneath the Britannia Pavillion.
The Albert Dock warehouses are very much a prominent feature of the famous Liverpool waterfront. In this photograph, the Docks stand as a podium for the magnificent Anglican Cathedral.
The Wapping Dock warehouse (right) built in 1856 is almost identical to it's neighbour, Albert. As with the Albert Dock and Waterloo Dock it now houses approximately 114 apartments. Wapping Dock was just one of the casualties of the war. In it's rebuilding, two sections of the building were sacrificed, however, the cast iron supporting columns that supported the lost portions remain standing.