Port of Liverpool

The Port of Liverpool is the enclosed 7.5 mi dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river.

In 2023, the Port of Liverpool was the UK’s fourth busiest container port, handling around 900,000 TEUs of cargo each year, equivalent to over 30 million tonnes of freight per annum. It handles a wide variety of cargo, including containers, bulk cargoes such as coal, grain and animal feed, and roll-on/roll-off cargoes such as cars, trucks and recycled metals. The port is also home to one of the largest cruise terminals in the UK which handles approximately 200,000 passengers and over 100 cruise ships each year.[1][2][3][4]

The port has significant links to North America and the rest of Europe via the

History

1715-1899

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 shopping centre, was converted into the enclosed dock. Further docks were added and eventually all were interconnected by lock gates, extending 7.5 mi along the Liverpool bank of the River Mersey. From 1830 onwards, most of the building stone was granite from Kirkmabreck near Creetown, Scotland.[8]

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. From 1885, the dock system was the hub of a hydraulic power network that stretched beyond the docks. Both White Star Line and Cunard Line were based at the port. It was also the home port of many great ships, including RMS Baltic (1903), RMS Olympic, RMS Mauretania (1906), RMS Aquitania and the ill-starred Tayleur, MV Derbyshire,, RMS Lusitania, and the RMS Titanic.

20th century

Most of the smaller south end docks were closed in 1971 with Brunswick Dock remaining until closure in 1975.

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.

In 1972, Canadian Pacific unit CP Ships was the last transatlantic line to operate from Liverpool.

Many docks have been filled in to create land for buildings: at the Pier Head, an arena at Kings Dock, commercial estates at Toxteth and Harrington Docks 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 was filled in to allow Gladstone Dock's coal terminal to expand.

Liverpool Freeport Zone was opened in the North Docks 1984, expanding to include some of the Birkenhead Dock system in 1992.[9] The Euro Rail terminal was established at Seaforth Dock in 1994 and the port expanded five years later, including construction of the Liverpool Intermodal Freeport Terminal.[9]

21st century

In 2004, UNESCO announced Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City. Parts of the port were a World Heritage Site from 2004 until 2021.[10][11]

country	United Kingdom
location	Liverpool, England
operated	The Peel Group
employees	1000
website	Port of Liverpool

History

1715-1899

20th century

21st century

Port statistics

Marina

Cruise terminal

Rail connections

Quotations

Image gallery

See also

External links

References