A Look at the Port from the Air
May 2001
photographs copyright of Philip Parker
Looking towards Brunswick Business Park, the site of former docks Herculaneum,
Harrington, Toxteth and Brunswick, some of the dock sheds running parallel to the
River as still in use mainly as small business units after the closure to
Shipping in the 1972.
The derelict docklands have been transformed into modern work places with houses, restaurants, shops and a recently opened Merseyrail station at Brunswick on the railway network between Liverpool Central and Hunts Cross.
Looking
over the Wirral Peninsular the Birkenhead Docklands remain active to Shipping,
during 2002 the roll on roll off river terminal at Twelve Quays will come into
operation speeding up the turnaround for ferries between Liverpool/Birkenhead
and the North and South of Ireland, when this photograph was taken the river
berth was under construction, Wallasey dock has since been filled to
allow space for trailer marshalling.
The Mersey Ferry Terminal at Woodside is visible to the left.
The Famous Pier Head with it's magnificent waterfront buildings, once a busy
dockland area this has now been transformed using the former warehouses for
housing, offices, shops as well as the Tate Gallery and the Merseyside Maritime
Museum visible bottom right of picture.
Passing over the Langton River Entrance, Opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 14th December 1962 as part of the Langton - Canada Improvement scheme. The Bibby complex extends over the site of Carriers Dock and Brocklebank graving dock. The West Brocklebank is the Marine Base for the MD & HC and the North Brocklebank Branch Dock former home to the Liners of Elder Dempster is the base for Norse Merchant Ferries.
Gladstone Dock and Royal Seaforth, opened in 1971 are accessed from Gladstone Lock. The former Graving Dock is now the main roll on roll off terminal for P & O Ferries (Pandoro), the transit sheds on the north side have been demolished to increase the trailer marshalling area. This dock was the temporary Container Terminal between 1968 and the opening of Seaforth in 1971. Seaforth is the furthest dock to the north and is the main Container Handling Terminal in the Port, Serviced by five modern ship to shore container cranes on berths 3 , 4 & 5, The Coastal Terminal is berth S6.The Vessel alongside is ACL's "Atlantic Conveyor" On the south side of Seaforth is the Grain and Animal feeds berths, each berth has a vessel alongside that is part hidden by the Terminal storage facilities.
Gladstone Branch Docks No 1 & 2, in the latter is a Pandoro ferry docking at the east end. Roll on Roll off trailers are parked adjacent to the vessel for speed of handling. Also partly visible is part of the Powergen Coal Terminal on the South side of No 1 Branch Dock. The middle quayside with the three story sheds demolished in September 2000 is now used for Steel handling with a new purpose built shed at the West End.
The former North Mersey Goods yard on the left of the picture has had many uses since its original use as Railway Goods Yard including car marshalling and trailer storage, it is now used by United Molasses for product storage within the Freeport Area.
Looking South over the Alexandra, Langton and Canada Docks, this picture gives a full view of the Langton River entrance, when constructed in the late 1950's this was the largest major dock programme carried out in this country since the War, or any at time in the North of England.
A second view of the Pier Head, this picture from the North, On the site of the famous Riverside Railway Station stands an office building, the road access is now called Princes Parade. A second office block is now completed to the north, with the an hotel complex on the east side of Princes dock.
Finally before landing back at Liverpool Airport we look at the Port of Garston.
Garston has three docks, North, Old, and Stalbridge.
Owned by Associated British Ports, Garston made its name as a timber, banana and coal port and still plays a major role in the local economy with trades of Timber and Steel discharging on a regular basis.
In order to have faster download times these aerial photographs have been reduced in size and quality, the originals with other unpublished photographs in negative format are available for publication,
for details contact:
mailto:philipbparker@btinternet.com