Page 7 - Gen Mag Online November 2020

7

PLACES OF INTEREST

Albert Dock,

Liverpool

The city of Liverpool has a very rich
maritime history. Starting off as a simple
fishing village around 1500 years ago it is
supposedly the start off point for St. Patrick
on his way to Ireland. If true, then it shows
how long the link has been between these
two places.

As a maritime port, the flow of products in
and out has been constant for centuries,
until more recently when in the late 20 th
century, the city and the port declined.
Albert Dock, Liverpool designed by Jesse
Hartley & Philip Hardwick In its hey day however, the river Mersey
area required the building of docks,
perhaps the more famous of which is Albert Dock, now just a quadrangle of shops and visitor
attractions.

Originally conceived in 1837, the dock was designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick. It opened
in 1846. The dock was innovative in that it is said to be the first structure of its type, or even major
architectural structure not to use wood, but be built entirely from brick, stone and cast iron.

Until now docks around the globe were fire hazards. Hartley and Hardwick showed that by using
modern technologies of the time, a new kind of dock, which was not only stable and secure but also
permanent was the way forward.

Moreover, two years after opening in 1848, the dock acquired an innovative hydraulic system for
hauling goods directly to and from the warehouses. Up till then, manpower was the main way of
handling goods to be loaded onto and off ships.

Albert Dock fast became a major waterfront construction with a whole host of products going through
from brandy to silk.

Although a fantastic architectural achievement, Liverpool’s growth as a port was still hamstrung as
the other docks on the river were in need of revamping. So, over the following 50 years, the dock
owners were forced to change the waterfront if they wanted to compete with other ports.
Jesse Hartley (1780 - 1860)
For the next hundred years Albert Dock and the other Liverpool
waterfront docks thrived. The city of Liverpool was prosperous. But
nd
the 2 World War interfered with this as the Admiralty in London
requisitioned it as a base for the British Atlantic Fleet.

Liverpool was coming under heavy bombardment from the
Germans, so the government felt it necessary to use Liverpool as
one of the staging posts for its sea offensive. Unfortunately, while
this was fine during the war years, the aftermath of the war had its
toll on Albert Dock and the wider Liverpool waterfront, which it never
really recovered. Plus, the owners of the Albert Dock complex, found
themselves in financial difficulties, so were forced to sell up.