This article is about the dock in Liverpool. For the dock in London, see Royal Albert Dock. The Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool, England. Designed by Jesse Hartley and Phillip Hardwick, it was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result it was the first non-combustable warehouse system in the world.[1] Today the Albert Dock is a major tourist attraction in the city and is a vital component of the UNESCO World Heritage Maritime Mercantile City. The docking complex and warehouses also comprise the largest single collection of Grade 1 listed buildings anywhere in the UK.[2]
History
Grand beginnings and early history
The history of the Albert Dock dates back to 1837, when Jesse Hartley first began the development of plans for a combined dock and warehouse system.[1] The plans drawn up by Hartley and fellow civil engineer Phillip Hardwick for the Albert Dock were at the time considered quite 'radical', as they envisioned the loading and unloading of ships directly from the warehouses.[3] However this idea was not new, and as far back as the 1803 Warehousing Act, legislation had been passed to allow this form of development to occur, whilst the concept was first actually used in the construction of St Katherine's Dock in London, which was opened in 1828.[4] As part of the development process, Hartley was eager to test the fire resistance of any particular design by constructing an 18ft by 10ft dummy structure, filling it with timber and tar, and setting it alight. After testing several structural designs he settled on the combination of cast iron, brick, sandstone and granite.[5] The design was submitted for planning permission in 1839 although it wasn't until 1841, when the bill authorising the design of the dock was eventually passed by Parliament, that construction was allowed to begin.[6][7]
The site chosen for the dock to be built on was an area of land boarded by Salthouse Dock to the east, the entrance channel to Canning Dock to the north and by Dukes Dock to the south. The land earmarked for the site had to be cleared, with 59 tenants being evicted and numerous premises demolished including a pub, several houses and the Dock Trustee's Dockyard.[5] Upon the clearance of this land both the Salthouse and Canning dock's were drained to allow entrance passages into the Albert Dock to be constructed, whilst hundreds of 'Navvies' were employed to dig out the dock basin and construct the new river wall. The dock basin was completed by February 1845, allowing the first ships to enter the Albert Dock, although with the warehouses still under construction this was merely to allow these boats to 'lay-up'.[8]
The dock complex was officially opened in 1846 by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria and the man in honour of whom it was named. This event marked the first occasion in the Liverpool's history in which a member of the Royal Family had made a state visit to the city and as a result the occasion was marked with a major celebrations.[9] Many thousands of people turned out for the Royal visit with the newspaper The Pictorial Times noting the reception Prince Albert received:
"His reception was most enthusiastic; balconies were erected along the line of procession, and these and the windows of houses were filled with gay and animated parties. There was a most brilliant display of flags, banners & c. [sic]. All business is suspended. There are 200,000 strangers in town, and all the inhabitants are in the streets. All is gaiety and splendour." (The Pictorial Times, 1846)[10]
The Prince was taken on a processional tour through the city, including a visit to the town hall where the royal address was made, before departing aboard the fairy across to the Cheshire side of the Mersey and then northwards towards the Albert Dock.[10][11] Again this stage of the procession route was laden with onlookers with The Pictorial Times describing the Prince's entrance into the Albert Dock:
"From the Cheshire side of the river the Fairy crossed to the Liverpool side, and returned along the line of docks amidst the cheers of assembled thousands and the roar of artillery. The sight was really magnificent, all the ships in the docks were decked out in gayest colours and the river was crowded with boats filled with people. At half-past two the fairy entered the dock, where were assembled two thousand ladies and gentlemen, the elite of the town; they cheered enthusiastically, which his Royal Highness returned, and in order to gratify the crowd sailed round the dock." (The Pictorial Times, 1846) [11]
Despite the official opening occuring in 1846, the construction of the Albert Dock was not fully completed until 1847. In 1848, a new dock office was built and the dock itself was upgraded to feature a hydraulic cargo handling hoist system, the first of its kind in the world.[12] Over the next decade several more buildings where added including houses for the piermaster, his assistant & the warehouse superintendant; and a cooperage. Warehousing in the dock was also expanded to meet the increasing demand by joining together the eastern and western ends of the Southern Stack.[13]
Changing fortunes and role in World War II
The enclosed design of the Albert Dock and the direct loading and unloading of goods from warehouses meant that the complex was more secure than other docks within Liverpool. As a result it became a popular store for valuable cargoes including brandy, cotton, tea, silk, tobacco, ivory and sugar. At the same time their openness to natural light and well ventilated stores meant natural goods such as hemp or sugar could be kept fresher, for longer.[3] The dock came to dominate Liverpool's far eastern trade, with over 90% of the city's silk imports from China coming through it and more generally half of all the far eastern trade income.[14]
Despite the great prosperity the dock afforded the city, within 20 years of its construction the Albert Dock was beginning to struggle. Designed and constructed to handle sailing ships of up to 1000 tonnes, by the turn of the century only 7% of ships into the Port of Liverpool were sailing vessels.[7] The development of steam ships in the later 19th century meant that soon the dock simply wasn't large enough, as its narrow entrances prevented larger vessels from entering it.[14] Its lack of quayside was also becoming an issue. Generally steamships could be loaded and unloaded far quicker than sailing ships, and in a cruel twist of irony, the dockside warehouses that had once made the Albert Dock so attractive, were now hindering its future development.[3] None the less the Albert Dock remained an integral part of the dock system in Liverpool and in 1878 the pump house was built as part of redevelopment that saw the majority of the cranes converted to hydraulic use, whilst in 1899, part of the north stack was converted to allow for ice production and cold storage.[15]
By the 1920s virtually all commercial shipping activity had ceased at the dock, although its warehouses did remain in use for the storage of goods transported by barge, road or rail.[15][16] The onset of World War II in 1939 saw the Albert Dock being 'requisitioned' by the admiralty and used as base for the British Atlantic fleet including submarines, small warships and landing craft. During the war the dock was struck on several occasions including a bombing raid in 1940 that damaged ships within it, and more destructively during the May Blitz of 1941 when German bombing caused extensive damage to the south west stack.[16] By the end of the war almost 15% of the Albert Dock's floor space was out of use due to bomb damage.[17]
Post War history and decline
By the time World War II had finished the Albert Dock's future looked bleak. The owners of the dock, the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (MDHB) were in financial crisis and chose not to repair any of the wartime bomb damage, adopting an attitude of 'if its not broke don't fix it and if it is broke we still won't fix it'.[18] At the same time a change in geo-political orientation towards Europe, coupled with the advent of containerisation meant the whole docking system in the city of Liverpool suffered as newer, stronger ports emerged elsewhere in the UK.[19] None the less the architectural and technological value of the docks was recognised in 1952 when the Albert Dock was granted Grade 1 listed building status.[15]
Despite this recognition, the increasing debts of the MDHB meant that by the 1960s the company was eager to get rid of the Albert Dock. Having considered demolishing the buildings and redeveloping the land,[16] the MDHB soon entered negotiations to sell the land to Oldham Estates, a property developer owned by Harry Hyams.[18] Many plans for the site were developed including one that envisioned the development of a mini city that would provide 10m sq feet of letting space, hotels, restaurants, bars and underground parking in the drained dock basin.[20] With the council reluctant to allow such a grandiose development to occur and with the huge public opposition to it, Oldham Estates were forced into scaling-down the plan and so in 1970 returned with a new vision known as 'Aquarius City', which had as its centrepiece a 44-storey skyscraper. Once again the plan failed to develop and no sooner had it been announced, than the MDHB's financial problems reached crisis point, Oldham Estates withdrew their deposit and the whole scheme fell through.[18]
With the MDHB on the verge of bankruptcy a decision was taken to shut down and sell off the whole of the south docks system. The warehouses were emptied and in 1972 the Albert Dock finally closed down. The Brunswick Dock gates, which separated the South Docks system from the River Mersey, were opened allowing tidal movements in and the process of the clogging up the docks with sewage polluted silt began.[21][22] In many senses just as the Albert Dock's development had symbolised the prosperity in the Liverpool at the time of its construction, its subsequent decline after World War II symbolised the collapse of the local economy as a whole.[23]
Throughout the early 1970s plans continued to emerge for the redevelopment of the Albert Dock site and the whole of the south docks system in general. Many of these plans were quite extreme including Liverpool City Council's suggestion to use the dock basin as a landfill site. The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company (MDHC), the reincarnation of the now defunct Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, however felt it could get more money by filling in the dock basin with sand and selling it as developable land and not derelict land. One plan for the Albert Dock that was taken more seriously was the idea that it become the new home of Liverpool Polytechnic (now John Moore's University). The government was even willing to provide £3m in funding but like so many other plans this too fell by the wayside.[24]
The creation of Merseyside County Council (MCC) in 1974 brought new hope that the Albert Dock could be redeveloped, with the MCC placing a high priority on its development. They soon entered negotiations with the MDHC and in 1979 eventually negotiated a deal to take over the running of the south docks.[25] Despite this seeming step forward political wrangling between the MDHC (the dock owners), Liverpool City Council (the local planning authority) and Merseyside County Council (the group now responsible for redeveloping the docks) continued to hinder any development plans.[24] Fed up with the in fighting the newly elected Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher decided that the city was incapable of handling regeneration initiatives itself and under the guidance of the 'Minister for Merseyside' Michael Heseltine, set up the Merseyside Development Corporation in 1981 to take over the responsibility of regenerating and redeveloping Liverpool's south docks.[23][26]
The MDC and regeneration of the Albert Dock
It wasn't until 1981, when the Conservative government set up the Merseyside Development Corporation (MDC) that things started moving.[26]As part of an initiative to regenerate some 800 acres of Liverpool's South Docks, the MDC appointed Arrowcroft Group plc in 1983 to lead the redevelopment that included the removal of up 30 feet worth of silt from the dock basin as well as returning to use the vast warehouses of the dock. The first stage of the redevelopment, which included the restoration of these vast warehouses for which work Tarmac Construction was the main contractor,[27] was completed in time for the 1984 tall ships festival however it wasn't until 1988 that the Albert Dock was officially re-opened by Prince Charles,[28] the great, great, great grandson of Prince Albert, the man who had originally opened the docks.[29]
As part of the redevelopment the Albert Dock became home to the Tate Liverpool, one of four Tate galleries across the UK, and at the time the only one outside of London. The Tate Liverpool was officially opened in 1988 to coincide with the re-opening of the Albert Dock as a whole and was further extended during re-furbishment work in 1998.[30] Also to move into the Albert Dock was the Merseyside Maritime Museum, which took up residence in 1986, having previously been located in the pilotage building and a former salvage shed.[31]
In 1988 ITV's new morning television show This Morning, hosted by Richard and Judy, began broadcasting from a studio inside the Albert Dock. As part of the show weather presenter Fred Talbot used a floating map of the British Isles when reporting the forecast. The show was eventually shifted to London in 1996, however the map remained until 2003 when it was finally removed.
Structural design and construction
At the time of its construction the Albert Dock was a state of the art docking system , primarily due to the complete lack of any combustable materials in its structure.[14] Constructed entirely from cast iron, stone and brick, the Albert Dock cost a total of £782,265 to build (approximately £41m today),[3] and covered a space of some 1.29m sq feet. Over 23 million bricks were used in construction as well as 47,000 tons of mortar.[1]
One of the most notable features of the Albert Dock are the huge cast iron columns that line the quayside.[32] At 15 feet high and almost 13 feet in circumference, the columns are based upon the Greek Doric style of architecture.[33] Hartley's decision to use cast iron was an economic one as at the time it was cheaper than granite, however the Albert Dock's construction still required so much granite that the dock trustee's had to open their own mine in Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland.[32][3] The quality of the build materials used as well as the docks sheer size are considered a strong illustration of the great prosperity that the Port of Liverpool afforded the city at the time and the building's style was described as cyclopean classicism.[33]
The Albert Dock today
Today the Albert Dock is one of Liverpool's most important tourist attractions and a vital component of the city's UNESCO world heritage Maritime Mercantile City. As well as being the number one tourist attraction in Liverpool,[34] the Albert Dock is also the most visited multi-use attraction in the United Kingdom outside of London, with in excess of four million visitors per year.[35] Amoungst the many attractions at the Albert Dock are the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the Beatles Story and the Tate Liverpool. There are also two hotels within the Albert Dock: a Holiday Inn and Premier Lodge both located in the Britannia Pavilion.[36]
In the aftermath of the dock's regeneration in the 1980s a policy had been adopted to try and attract retailers into the newly created premises within. However after many years of struggling to compete with other major shopping areas in the city, the Albert Dock Company Ltd announced in 2007 a shift into attracting more bars and restaurants.[37] As of 2008, bars and restaurants resident in the Albert Dock include Babycream, Blue Bar & Grill, Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen, Spice Lounge, Circo and Raven.[38]
A panoramic view of the Albert Dock today.
Gallery
|
|
|
|
Albert Dock Quayside in the Colannades (formally west stack)
|
See also
References
- ^ a b c Jones (2004), p83
- ^ Helen Carter (2003-03-07). "Glory of Greece, grandeur of Rome ... and docks of Liverpool". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
- ^ a b c d e "Construction, heyday and decline of the Albert Dock". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved on 2008-09-26.
- ^ Jones (2004), p18
- ^ a b Jones (2004), p20
- ^ Jones (2004), p19
- ^ a b "Albert Dock History". Albert Dock Company Ltd. Retrieved on 2008-09-24.
- ^ Jones (2004), p23
- ^ Jones (2004), p12
- ^ a b Jones (2004), p13
- ^ a b Jones (2004), p14
- ^ Jones (2004), p46
- ^ "Historic Facts 1824 - 1854". Albert Dock Company Ltd. Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
- ^ a b c Jones (2004), p24
- ^ a b c "Historic Facts 1860 - 1970". Albert Dock Company Ltd. Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
- ^ a b c Jones (2004), p47
- ^ Jones (2004), p28
- ^ a b c Jones (2004), p29
- ^ Milne, G.J (2006). Maritime Liverpool. In Belcham, J (eds): Liverpool 800: Culture, Character and History. Liverpool University Press.
- ^ "City's Reputation Will Depend Upon Waterfront Plan", Liverpool Echo, 1966-05-30
- ^ Jones (2004), p48
- ^ Jones (2004), p30
- ^ a b Murden, John (2006). City of Change and Challenge: Liverpool Since 1945. In Belcham, John (eds) Liverpool 800: Culture, Character and History. Liverpool University Press.
- ^ a b Jones (2004), p31
- ^ "Historic Facts Historic Facts 1972 - 2002". Albert Dock Company Ltd. Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
- ^ a b Jones (2004), p32
- ^ Ritchie, Berry (1999). The Story of Tarmac. James & James (Publishers) Ltd, p99.
- ^ Jones (2004), p37
- ^ "Royal Family Tree". Britroyals.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-25.
- ^ Jones (2004), p49
- ^ "Creating a museum". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved on 2008-09-26.
- ^ a b Jones (2004), p21
- ^ a b Hughes, Quentin (1999). Liverpool: City of Architecture. The Bluecoat Press, p57.
- ^ "Albert Dock". VisitLiverpool.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-24.
- ^ "Albert Dock: The Present Day". Albert Dock Company Ltd. Retrieved on 2008-09-24.
- ^ Jones (2004), p82
- ^ Gleeson, Bill (2007-08-06). "Albert Dock primed for ‘colossal tourism’". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved on 2008-09-24.
- ^ "Albert Dock: Food and Drink". Albert Dock Company Ltd. Retrieved on 2008-09-24.
Bibliography
External links
|
