Liverpool's Old Hidden Dock

The first wet dock in Britain was built in Liverpool and completed in 1715. It
was the first commercial enclosed wet dock in the world and was
constructed for a capacity of 100 ships

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/410.jpg
view along dock wall showing thickness

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/411.jpg
view down into bedrock

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/413.jpg
showing the curved end of the dock.

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/414.jpg
view showing diging marks and cut outs in the basin

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/419.jpg
if you have looked down through the little window on to the dock then this is the wall you see, note the round window at the top.

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/418.jpg
Rock bottom, the bed rock base.

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/420.jpg
view of dock wall

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/412.jpg
some of the people that went

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/417.jpg
Kept the best to last, when the dock was uncovered this tunnel was discovered, as it pre-dates the dock IE the dock cuts through it, it's thought it may be a sally port (means of escape) from the old castle.

Fantastic! I tried to phone but the line was constantly engaged!

Brilliant pics Drone Pilot, I couldn't get a ticket either, only the chosen few eh :PDT11

Just love the History of this great City of ours and your pics are superb,

Martin

Excellent pics, Drone :)

When are the plebs allowed to see it? :) Great pic's by the way!

they hope to have a visitors centre open by september then it's all down to the owners (grovner ?) to give the final O.K.
we where alowd in because of it being world heritage day, i think it was also a trial run for when it opens fully.

bit of history, Thomas Steers when he built the dock used brick, because the brick's used where Hygroscopic (they adsorbed water) the dock needed constant repair (see images) further docks where constructed from stone.


did you know the new canel link where it enters Canning dock uses reclamed red sandstone from Manchester dock.

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Originally Posted by drone_pilot

http://www.militaryimages.net/ims/pic/5JMbGx/417.jpg
Kept the best to last, when the dock was uncovered this tunnel was discovered, as it pre-dates the dock IE the dock cuts through it, it's thought it may be a sally port (means of escape) from the old castle.

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What's the black thing in the wall ?

it's a pipe covered with a black plasitc sack where they sent a robot crawler
through, it went abour 4 feet but there is so much rubble/rubish down there
it couldn't go any further.

they hope to open it and fully excervate it when they have enough money.

Great pics :handclap:

Thanks for the info too, were u able to walk in the dock or just around the top??

Thanks for posting up the pics, hope to get down if one day if possible...

Brill drone pilot. :handclap:

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Originally Posted by Kev

Thanks for the info too, were u able to walk in the dock or just around the top??

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just around the top.

Any news of when it'll be open to the public yet? Dying to see it...

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Originally Posted by knowhowe

Any news of when it'll be open to the public yet? Dying to see it...

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The first intention was to have a permanent public exhibition centre (under the big 'Sugar House' steps down from the park) leased to and funded by council and designed by National Museums Liverpool with access from an entrance to go under the steps and directly down to the Old Dock wall (instead of through retail service corridors). Grovesnor paid for the construction of the 'concrete box' as their part of the deal.

Further funds not being forthcoming, the exhibition space is an un-let shop unit (intended as a coffee shop) still there, under the big steps just to the left of the lifts opposite John Lewis.

From then on, visits were to be by arrangement only and there were no plans to make it permanently public.

I am sure if there was sufficient public support (and a willingness to give something else up), something could be done about.

is'nt this what they did on time team?.

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Originally Posted by edwardo

is'nt this what they did on time team?.

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Yes.
Went down a couple of times last year but they still had all the scaffolding up.

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Originally Posted by petromax

The first intention was to have a permanent public exhibition centre (under the big 'Sugar House' steps down from the park) leased to and funded by council and designed by National Museums Liverpool with access from an entrance to go under the steps and directly down to the Old Dock wall (instead of through retail service corridors). Grovesnor paid for the construction of the 'concrete box' as their part of the deal.

Further funds not being forthcoming, the exhibition space is an un-let shop unit (intended as a coffee shop) still there, under the big steps just to the left of the lifts opposite John Lewis.

From then on, visits were to be by arrangement only and there were no plans to make it permanently public.

I am sure if there was sufficient public support (and a willingness to give something else up), something could be done about.

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Hmm. Not too sure if I understand the above too clearly. Are you saying that there's deemed to be no money to enable the Old Dock to be opened to the public?

If that is the case, I would say that it is a disgraceful state of affairs.

I was told last year that Grovesnor were letting them have the unit for FA or next to nothing as a good will gesture,in truth they couldn't let it.

I'll believe that when I see it.