Liverpool's first dock was the world's first enclosed commercial dock, the Old Dock, built in 1715. The Lyver Pool, a tidal inlet in the narrows of the estuary, which is now largely under the Liverpool One shopping centre, was converted into the enclosed dock.
Further docks were added and eventually all were interconnected by lock gates, extending 7.5 miles (12.1 km) along the Liverpool bank of the River Mersey.
The interconnected dock system was the most advanced port system in the world. The docks enabled ship movements within the dock system 24 hours a day, isolated from the high River Mersey tides. Parts of the system are now a World Heritage Site.
1858 The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board took over running of the Liverpool Docks from the Trustees in 1858.
From 1885 the dock system was the hub of a hydraulic power network that stretched beyond the docks.
Most of the smaller south end docks were closed in 1971 with Brunswick Dock remaining until closure in 1975. Many docks have been filled in to create land for buildings: at the Pier Head, an arena at Kings Dock, commercial estates at Toxteth and Harrington Docks and housing at Herculaneum Dock. In the north, some branch docks have been filled in to create land. Sandon and Wellington Docks have been filled in and are now the location of a sewage works. Most of Hornby Dock was filled in to allow Gladstone Dock's coal terminal to expand.
The largest dock on the dock network, Seaforth Dock, was opened in 1972 and deals with grain and containers, accommodating what were the largest containers ships at that time.
Liverpool's Docks
These included:
- Albert Dock, Liverpool
- Alexandra Dock, Liverpool
- Bramley-Moore Dock
- Brocklebank Dock, Liverpool
- Brunswick Dock, Liverpool
- Canada Dock, Liverpool
- Canning Dock, Liverpool
- Clarence Dock, Liverpool
- Coburg Dock, Liverpool
- Collingwood Dock, Liverpool
- Garston Dock, Liverpool
- George's Dock, Liverpool
- Gladstone Dock, Liverpool
- Harrington Dock, Liverpool
- Herculaneum Dock, Liverpool
- Hornby Dock, Liverpool
- Huskisson Dock, Liverpool
- King's Dock, Liverpool
- Langton Dock, Liverpool
- Nelson Dock
- North Docks, Liverpool
- Prince's Dock, Liverpool
- Queen's Dock, Liverpool
- Salisbury Dock
- Salthouse Dock, Liverpool
- Sandon Dock, Liverpool
- Seaforth Dock, Liverpool
- Stanley Dock, Liverpool
- Toxteth Dock, Liverpool
- Trafalgar Dock, Liverpool
- Victoria Dock
- Wapping Dock, Liverpool
- Waterloo Docks, Liverpool
- Wellington Dock