North Docks, Liverpool

**Max** · 08-09-2006

What area is this in Kev?

**Kev** · 08-09-2006

Originally Posted by Max

What area is this in Kev?

Central Docks, just north of the City Centre I think.

**Howie** · 08-09-2006

Collingwood Dock, next to Stanley Dock, isn't it?

**Kev** · 08-09-2006

Originally Posted by Howie

Collingwood Dock, next to Stanley Dock, isn't it?

Sorry Howie, I meant north of the Central Docks

**snappel** · 09-21-2006

Howie - absolutely love your photo, the colours are amazing!!

If anyone's interested in visiting it, it's quite easy to get to, although it's choc-full of pigeon crap. The first time I went there it was night-time, and they'd all gone in to roost... an experience I can tell you!

Pendulum housing

Interesting grafitti!!

Clockface drive gears

Bell room

Unfortunately the clock mechanism has gone along with the big bronze bell, which looks to have been cut off (the top remains, with the maker's name engraved). A lot of the woodwork is rotten, but it's possible to get out onto the top. Grafitti is also interesting!!

I was talking to a security guard at the Freeport and he said he went to explore it years back and had to climb in because the door had been barracaded by a tramp who was living there. Apparently as he climbed up one side, the tramp climbed down a rope on the other side and did one! Quite unique though, hopefully eventually it'll be restored.

**Kev** · 09-21-2006

An excellent report, its brilliant having the chance to see inside!! Many thanks

**Waterways** · 09-21-2006

Originally Posted by Howie

Collingwood Dock, next to Stanley Dock, isn't it?

Nope. The Victoria Tower at the river "barge locks" at Salisbury Dock next to Collingwood Dock which is next to Stanley Dock. The river "barge locks" can still be operable. The lcoks took small vessels, barges, tugs, coasters, etc.

The only other six sided clock is in Russia, I think in Kiev. Victoria Tower also had a flat for the lock keeper. Living with that bell clanging?

**Max** · 09-21-2006

Such cool graffito!

**Howie** · 09-21-2006

Originally Posted by snappel

Howie - absolutely love your photo, the colours are amazing!!

Afraid I can't take credit for the two photos that I posted above. I should have referenced them. The first one is courtesy of Liverpool Pictorial and the second from The Tuesday Night Club.

**Kev** · 09-21-2006

Originally Posted by Howie

Afraid I can't take credit for the two photos that I posted above. I should have referenced them. The first one is courtesy of Liverpool Pictorial

Of course Liverpool Pictorial is the site belonging to member scouserdave

**snappel** · 09-22-2006

Oh right, not surprised then, he does take some pretty hot photos! Interesting to hear about the other 6 sided clock in Russia. Must say, I've never seen anything like it before in the UK...

**Waterways** · 09-22-2006

Above: Collingwood Dock is the near dock and Salisbury the far dock. The dock to the left is what remains of Trafalgar dock. To the right of Salisbury Dock Nelson Dock can just be seen. Some commercial activity still goes on in these docks.

Above: Clarence Graving docks. Trafalgar dock is now just a basin for ships to enter the graving docks. The graving docks have not been used since last Xmas.

**Louis** · 09-22-2006

when this area is eventually regenerated... id hope to see the clock tower restored to its former glory, because its a great piece of architecture

**snappel** · 09-22-2006

It's mentioned on the World Heritage Bid site somewhere, and is listed, so at some stage it'll be done I'm sure...

**ChrisGeorge** · 11-05-2006

Hi all

I wrote a poem about this clock as shown below. I have to admit though that when I worked at the docks, for a summer job as a clerk in 1966, I never actually saw the clock because I was working in the southern docks, at Wapping Dock. There seems to be some confusion as to whether the clock has six sides or eight sides, with at least two websites at variance.

The Docker's Clock

Tick tock. The Dockers' Clock
-- with its six clock faces that faced
the points of the compass, the drunken
sailors' rolling gait, their brawling wake
-- plotted my time during the summer hols,
a few quid in a paypacket, my first job,
clocking me in and out as I plotted
the comings and goings of the ships
in and out of the Liverpool docks:
stalwart-named docks like the strong
Assam tea I sipped as I munched
on my greasy Dock Road bacon butties:
King's and Queen's, Wapping, Salthouse,
Albert, Waterloo, Huskisson, Princes,
Nelson, Trafalgar, Wellington. . .

Christopher T. George

The Liverpool Pictorial site on the Jesse Hartley - Victoria Tower 1848, a.k.a. The Dockers' Clock definitely says the clock has eight sides but on the Liverpool monuments site it says six sides. Which is it? Eight sides would more naturally match the points of the compass.

Chris