Salisbury Dock
Encyclopedia
Salisbury Dock is a dock
on the River Mersey
, England
and part of the Port of Liverpool
. It is situated in the northern dock system in Vauxhall
and is connected to Nelson Dock to the north, Trafalgar Dock
to the south and inland to Collingwood Dock
. Designed by Jesse Hartley
, the dock opened in 1848.
Its purpose was as a half tide dock
,
connected directly to the river via two lock
entrances. These provided access between the Mersey and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
.
By the mid twentieth century, the dock was the principal hub for coastal and barge
traffic in Liverpool.
The hexagonal Victoria Tower, consisting of six clock faces, is located between the now disused lock entrances.
Built using irregular shaped granite
blocks, it is inscribed with the date of its construction: '1848'. Adjoining the tower is the former Piermaster's House. The tower's bell provided tidal and weather warnings to shipping. The buildings are now disused and derelict.
Salisbury Dock is part of the Stanley Dock
Conservation Area
and is on the route of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal extension to the Pier Head
.
In 2007, the Peel Group
, owners of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
, unveiled the £5.5 billion 'Liverpool Waters
' regeneration programme. The project includes the restoration of Victoria Tower and the construction of two skyscrapers near the historic building.
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
on the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and part of the Port of Liverpool
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the name for the enclosed 7.5 mile dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river...
. It is situated in the northern dock system in Vauxhall
Vauxhall, Merseyside
Vauxhall is an inner city district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is located north of Liverpool city centre, and is bounded by Kirkdale in the north, and Everton in the east, with the docks and River Mersey running along the west side....
and is connected to Nelson Dock to the north, Trafalgar Dock
Trafalgar Dock
Trafalgar Dock is a dock, on the River Mersey and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Vauxhall and connected to Salisbury Dock to the north. The sites of two former docks are located in the vicinity; Victoria Dock was located to the south and Clarence Dock...
to the south and inland to Collingwood Dock
Collingwood Dock
Collingwood Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Vauxhall, and is connected to Stanley Dock to the east and Salisbury Dock to the west...
. Designed by Jesse Hartley
Jesse Hartley
Jesse Hartley was Civil Engineer and Superintendent of the Concerns of the Dock Estate in Liverpool, England between 1824 and 1860.-Hartley's career:...
, the dock opened in 1848.
Its purpose was as a half tide dock
Half Tide Dock
A half tide dock is a partially tidal dock. Typically the dock is entered at high tide. As the tide ebbs a sill or weir prevents the level dropping below a certain point, meaning that the ships in the dock remain afloat. Half tide docks are particularly useful in areas with a large tidal range....
,
connected directly to the river via two lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
entrances. These provided access between the Mersey and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
.
By the mid twentieth century, the dock was the principal hub for coastal and barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
traffic in Liverpool.
The hexagonal Victoria Tower, consisting of six clock faces, is located between the now disused lock entrances.
Built using irregular shaped granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
blocks, it is inscribed with the date of its construction: '1848'. Adjoining the tower is the former Piermaster's House. The tower's bell provided tidal and weather warnings to shipping. The buildings are now disused and derelict.
Salisbury Dock is part of the Stanley Dock
Stanley Dock
Stanley Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool and is part of the northern dock system. The dock is connected to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to the east and Collingwood Dock to the west.Designed by Jesse...
Conservation Area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
and is on the route of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal extension to the Pier Head
Pier Head
The Pier Head is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool, England. It is part of the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was inscribed in 2004....
.
In 2007, the Peel Group
Peel Group
The Peel Group is a diversified real estate, transport and infrastructure investment company in the United Kingdom. It has assets owned and under management approaching £6 billion...
, owners of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company , formerly the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board , owns and administers the dock facilities of the Port of Liverpool, on the River Mersey, England...
, unveiled the £5.5 billion 'Liverpool Waters
Liverpool Waters
Liverpool Waters is a large scale £5.5bn development that has been proposed by the company Peel Holdings in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The development will make use of a series of presently derelict dock spaces at Central Docks, with much of the docks in a World Heritage...
' regeneration programme. The project includes the restoration of Victoria Tower and the construction of two skyscrapers near the historic building.