84-620: Merseyside County Council (MCC) was, from 1974 to 1986, the upper-tier administrative body for Merseyside , a metropolitan county in North West England . MCC existed for a total of twelve years. It was established on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 . However, along with the other five metropolitan county councils and the Greater London Council it was abolished on 31 March 1986 by
168-725: A Tate gallery in Liverpool was seen as a major success for the city, as it made Liverpool home to the National Collection of modern art in the North of England. 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 to report
252-541: A pub , several houses and the Dock Trustee's Dockyard. Upon the clearance of this land both the Salthouse and Canning docks 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
336-412: A building almost 150 years old was still in such good condition. Development within the Albert Dock was rapid and the newly renovated Edward Pavilion (formerly north east stack) was ready in time for the 1984 Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Races . The race was a big success for the city with over one million visitors into Liverpool over a period of four days, of which 160,000 visited the Albert Dock. In total it
420-464: A major port, heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade and in supplying cotton to the mills of Lancashire, and Birkenhead developed into a centre for shipbuilding. Innovations during this period included the first inter-city railway , the first publicly-funded civic park , advances in dock technology , and a pioneering elevated electrical railway . The county was established in 1974, before which
504-645: A million people travel these Irish Sea ferry services. The Mersey Ferry has operated since the 1200s, currently between Wirral and Liverpool City Centre at Seacombe, Woodside and Liverpool Pier Head. In 2009–2010 it had 684,000 passengers using the service. The Port of Liverpool handles most commercial shipping, but the Birkenhead Docks complex in Great Float on the Wirral peninsula still handles some freight. The Port of Liverpool
588-478: A water area of 7.75 acres (3.14 ha). In its construction over 23 million bricks were used and 47,000 tonnes of mortar. In total it cost £782,265 (approximately £41m today), whilst today its estimated to be worth £230 million. The building's design complements many existing construction techniques with, what were considered at the time, radical solutions. The warehouses are supported by large load-bearing walls that range from being 3 feet (0.91 m) thick at
672-492: Is Merseyside's primary intercity railway station, being used by 10.46 million passengers in 2021–22. Train services are provided by Avanti West Coast , London Northwestern Railway , TransPennine Express , West Midlands Trains , Transport for Wales and Northern , and serve destinations across the UK. Merseyrail is the county's urban rail system and is operated by Merseytravel , the combined passenger transport executive for
756-693: Is a container port that handles over 33 million tonnes of freight cargo per year, making it the fourth busiest port in the United Kingdom as of 2022 . It serves more than 100 global destinations including Africa, Australia, China, India, the Middle East and South America . Imports include grain and animal feed , timber , steel, coal, cocoa, crude oil, edible oils and liquid chemicals; there are exports of scrap metal for recycling. A second container terminal, Liverpool2 at Seaforth , can handle Post-Panamax vessels and doubled
840-636: Is chaired by a Metro Mayor , Steve Rotheram , who was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021 and in 2024 . The planning and commissioning of care within Merseyside is the responsibility of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Service (ICS), which covers NHS and other care services within the Cheshire and Merseyside area. NHS Cheshire and Merseyside serves a combined population of 2.7 million people, with some 17 NHS trusts, 349 GP practices, and 590 pharmacies under its control. Merseyside
924-507: Is designed to improve transport links between Widnes and Runcorn and other key locations in the vicinity. National Cycle Route 56 and National Cycle Route 62 pass through the region, the former along the Wirral and the latter from Southport to Runcorn. Major bus companies are Stagecoach Merseyside and Arriva North West . Liverpool One bus station serves as a terminus for national coach travel. Liverpool Lime Street mainline station
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#17327867077141008-553: Is estimated that the two flagship regeneration schemes of the MDC, the tall ships race and International Garden Festival, attracted over 3.5 million visitors to Liverpool in 1984. The same year, the renovation of the dock traffic office was completed; it was fitted out and leased to Granada Television . Spurred by the success of the tall ships race and the International Garden Festival, Arrowcroft pushed on with
1092-529: Is found at The Oval (Wirral) . Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool The Royal Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool , England. Designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick , it was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in
1176-575: Is planning substantial expansion, and is forecast to handle more than 12 million passengers by 2030, as well as targeting permanent direct long haul flights and significantly larger terminal facilities. Merseyside is host to several football league football clubs including Everton , Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers and several non-league football clubs including Marine A.F.C. and Southport F.C. Golf courses include Royal Liverpool Golf Club , Royal Birkdale Golf Club , Hillside Golf Club and Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club . Cricket clubs include
1260-604: Is served by six motorways : the M58 to the north, M56 to the south, M6 & M62 to the east and M53 to the west. The M57 acts as an outer ring road and bypass for the city of Liverpool itself. The River Mersey is crossed by Queensway Tunnel and Kingsway Tunnel , which link Liverpool to Birkenhead and Wallasey respectively, and by the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Mersey Gateway Bridge , which link Runcorn and Widnes. The Mersey Gateway Bridge opened in 2017 and
1344-488: 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). 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 ferry across to the Cheshire side of the Mersey and then northwards towards the Albert Dock. Again this stage of
1428-628: The Admiralty serving as a base for ships of the British Atlantic Fleet . The complex was damaged during air raids on Liverpool, notably during the May Blitz of 1941. In the aftermath of the war, the financial problems of the owners and the general decline of docking in the city meant that the future of the Albert Dock was uncertain. Numerous plans were developed for the re-use of the buildings but none came to fruition and in 1972
1512-665: The Grand National is the most valuable jump race in Europe. National Museums Liverpool comprises nine museums and art galleries. Merseyside was designated as a "Special Review" area in the Local Government Act 1958 , and the Local Government Commission for England started a review of this area in 1962, based around the core county boroughs of Liverpool , Bootle , Birkenhead and Wallasey . Further areas, including Widnes and Runcorn , were added to
1596-543: The Local Government Act 1985 . The county council had its main administrative offices at Metropolitan House at 95 Old Hall Street in Liverpool, renting part of the building from its owners, the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post newspaper group. The county council held its meetings at Liverpool Town Hall . The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of
1680-621: The River Ribble . This would have included four districts: Southport / Crosby , Liverpool / Bootle , St Helens / Widnes and Wirral / Chester . In 1970 the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (which operates today under the Merseytravel brand) was set up, covering Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral and Knowsley, but excluding Southport and St Helens. The Redcliffe-Maud Report was rejected by
1764-600: The Royal Albert Dock in London. When it was constructed the Royal Albert Dock was considered a state of the art docking system. Built almost entirely from cast iron , stone and brick , the Albert Dock was designed to be fireproof, and on completion was the world's first non-combustible warehouse system. It provided 1,290,000 square feet (120,000 m ) of warehouse space and its dock basin had
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#17327867077141848-445: The bill authorising the design of the dock was eventually passed by Parliament , that construction was allowed to begin. The site chosen for the dock to be built on was an area of land bordered by Salthouse Dock to the east, the entrance channel to Canning Dock to the north and by Duke's Dock to the south. The land earmarked for the site had to be cleared, with 59 tenants being evicted and numerous premises demolished including
1932-571: The metropolitan boroughs of Liverpool , Knowsley , Sefton , St Helens and Wirral . Following the abolition of the county council, some local services are run by joint-boards of the five metropolitan boroughs; these include the: The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority , which includes the five boroughs of Merseyside and the Borough of Halton in Cheshire, oversees transport, economic development and regeneration. The combined authority
2016-587: The swing bridge leading from the dock towards the Pierhead. In the aftermath of the dock's regeneration in the 1980s a policy had been adopted to try to 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. As of 2008, bars and restaurants resident in
2100-770: 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. The creation of the Merseyside Development Corporation (MDC) in 1981 was part of a new initiative launched by the then Conservative government that earmarked the regeneration of some 800 acres (3.2 km ) of Liverpool's south docks, by using public sector investment to create infrastructure within an area that could then in turn be used to attract private sector investment. Thus
2184-505: The Albert Dock are the huge cast iron columns that line the quayside. At 15 feet (4.6 m) high and almost 13 feet (4.0 m) in circumference, the columns are based upon the Greek Doric style of architecture. Hartley 's decision to use cast iron was an economic one as at the time it was cheaper than granite . Nonetheless, because of the huge dock walls that were built, the Albert Dock's construction required so much granite that
2268-813: The Albert Dock is also the most visited multi-use attraction in the United Kingdom outside London , with in excess of four million visitors per year. Amongst 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 Inn both located in the Britannia Pavilion. All
2352-425: 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. In 1899, part of the north stack was converted to allow for ice production and cold storage. By the 1920s, virtually all commercial shipping activity had ceased at the dock, although its warehouses did remain in use for
2436-438: The Albert Dock started, the last remaining undeveloped space was brought into use with the opening of a new Premier Lodge hotel in the Britannia Pavilion. In anticipation of the dock's 175th anniversary in 2021, the owners of the dock applied for a royal charter . At an event at Tate Liverpool on 6 June 2018 the royal charter was handed over. The dock became formally known as Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, to avoid confusion with
2520-400: 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. Over the next decade several more buildings were added including houses for the piermaster , his assistant, and the warehouse superintendent; and a cooperage . Warehousing in the dock
2604-536: The Albert Dock's renovation. With the Edward Pavilion refurbishment a success soon the company started on the Britannia and Atlantic pavilions (formerly the south and south east stacks), the latter of which required major structural repairs because of bomb damage it received during World War II. In 1986 the Merseyside Maritime Museum completed its move into the Albert Dock, having moved some exhibitions into
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2688-764: The Liverpool City Region. The network has 66 stations on two lines; the Northern Line covers the centre of the county, and the Wirral Line covers the eponymous peninsula. The two lines meet in Liverpool City Centre , and Liverpool Central is the county's most-used station, with 10.75 million passengers in 2021–22. The network extends to Ormskirk in Lancashire, and Ellesmere Port and Chester in Cheshire. Merseytravel brands
2772-468: The Liverpool at the time of its construction, its subsequent decline after the Second World War symbolised the collapse of the local economy as a whole. 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
2856-473: The MDC was not directly responsible for regeneration programmes but rather acted as a spearhead, guiding the development process. Upon its formation it immediately created an initial strategy for the area placing a high priority on restoring those buildings that could be restored & demolishing the rest, restoring a water regime within the dock system (including the removal of up to 40 ft (12 m) of silt) and general environmental landscaping. As part of
2940-465: 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. Fed up with the infighting the newly elected Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher decided that the city was incapable of handling regeneration initiatives itself and under the guidance of
3024-663: The River Mersey). The two parts are linked by the two Mersey Tunnels , the Wirral line of Merseyrail , and the Mersey Ferry . Merseyside contains green belt interspersed throughout the county, surrounding the Liverpool urban area, as well as across the Mersey in the Wirral area, with further pockets extending towards and surrounding Southport, as part of the western edge of the North West Green Belt. It
3108-611: The Special Review Area by Order in 1965. Draft proposals were published in 1965, but the commission never completed its final proposals as it was abolished in 1966. Instead, a Royal Commission was set up to review English local government entirely, and its report (known as the Redcliffe-Maud Report ) proposed a much wider Merseyside metropolitan area covering southwest Lancashire and northwest Cheshire, extending as far south as Chester and as far north as
3192-558: The area, and a proposed district including St Helens and Huyton being subdivided into what are now the metropolitan boroughs of St Helens and Knowsley . Merseyside was created on 1 April 1974 from areas previously part of the administrative counties of Lancashire and Cheshire , along with the county boroughs of Birkenhead, Wallasey, Liverpool, Bootle, and St Helens. Following the creation of Merseyside, Merseytravel expanded to take in St Helens and Southport. Between 1974 and 1986
3276-448: The base to 19 inches (480 mm) on the fourth level. One of the most advanced architectural features is the use of stressed skin roofing, which at the time of construction was virtually unheard of. Huge iron trusses are crossed with rivetted and galvanised wrought iron plates, creating a shape similar to an upturned boat hull that acts to support the roof above. The floors in the warehouses are supported by large iron columns and
3360-493: The building in 1984. The museum, developed by Merseyside County Council had previously been located in the pilotage building and a salvage shed nearby. 1986 also saw work begin on the largest of the dock warehouses, the Colonnades (formerly west stack). Ground floor shops were created with office space on the mezzanine level and apartments on the remaining floors. The first 37 of these apartments were completed by 1988 and
3444-518: The city's silk imports from China coming through it and more generally half of all the far eastern trade income. 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 1,000 tonnes, by the start of the 20th century only 7% of ships into the Port of Liverpool were sailing vessels. The development of steam ships in
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3528-561: The company's board to take on the project. In September 1983 a deal was signed between Arrowcroft plc and the MDC leading to the creation of the Albert Dock Company, which could now start the process of regenerating the Albert Dock. One of the first priorities of the regeneration was the restoration of the dock system, which had deteriorated rapidly since the Brunswick Dock gates had been left open. Contaminated silt
3612-427: The complex cover 1.25m sq ft in size, the biggest such group of Grade I listed buildings anywhere in the UK. 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. The plans drawn up by Hartley and fellow civil engineer Philip Hardwick for the Albert Dock were at the time considered quite 'radical', as they envisioned
3696-460: The construction land was reclaimed from the River Mersey to build on. Given the ' quicksand ' nature of the Mersey's tidal silt the piles were needed to provide maximum stability. The resultant effect of the dock being constructed where it was is that the north and west stacks (now Merseyside Maritime Museum and Colonnades) rise and fall with every tide. One of the most notable features of
3780-414: The council from 1973 until its abolition in 1986 was held by the following parties: Until 1980, the leader of the council also held the formal role of chairman of the council. In 1980 the two roles were separated, with the chairmanship becoming largely ceremonial whilst political leadership was provided by the leader of the council. The first leader and chairman of the county council, Bill Sefton, had been
3864-714: The county comprises five metropolitan boroughs : Knowsley , St Helens , Sefton , Wirral , and Liverpool. The borough councils (and Halton in Cheshire) collaborate through the Liverpool City Region combined authority , chaired by an elected mayor . What is now Merseyside was a largely rural area until the Industrial Revolution , when Liverpool and Birkenhead's positions on the Mersey Estuary enabled them to expand. Liverpool became
3948-492: The county had a two-tier system of local government with the five boroughs sharing power with the Merseyside County Council . In 1986 the government of Margaret Thatcher abolished the county council along with all other metropolitan county councils, and so its boroughs are now effectively unitary authorities . Merseyside is divided into two parts by the Mersey estuary; the Wirral is on the west side of
4032-470: 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 Liverpool John Moores University ). The government
4116-472: The dock became a popular store for valuable cargoes such as brandy , cotton , tea , silk , tobacco , ivory and sugar . However, despite its advanced design, the rapid development of shipping technology meant that, within 50 years, larger and more open docks were required, although the Albert Dock remained a valuable store for cargo. During the Second World War , the dock was requisitioned by
4200-536: The dock trustee's had to open their own mine in Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland . 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 is described as cyclopean classicism . As well as being the number one tourist attraction in Liverpool,
4284-423: The dock was finally closed. Having lain derelict for nearly ten years, the redevelopment of the dock began in 1981, when the Merseyside Development Corporation was set up, with the Albert Dock being officially re-opened in 1984. Today the Royal Albert Dock is a major tourist attraction in the city and the most visited multi-use attraction in the United Kingdom , outside London . The five warehouses which make up
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#17327867077144368-496: The dock. More destructively, during the May Blitz of 1941, bombing caused extensive damage to the south west stack. By the end of the war, almost 15 per cent of the dock's floor space was unavailable due to bomb damage. By the time the Second World War 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
4452-493: The docks was recognised in 1952 when the Albert Dock was granted Grade I listed building status. 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, the MDHB soon entered negotiations to sell the land to Oldham Estates, a property developer owned by Harry Hyams . Many plans for
4536-646: The entirety of the Wirral was in Cheshire and the remainder of the county was in Lancashire. Merseyside is notable for its sport, music, and cultural institutions. The Merseybeat genre developed in what is now the county, which has also produced many artists and bands , including the Beatles . The county contains several football clubs, with Everton and Liverpool playing in the Premier League . The Royal Liverpool and Royal Birkdale golf clubs have hosted The Open Championship 22 times between them, and
4620-499: The estuary, upon the Wirral Peninsula , and the rest of the county lies on the east side. The eastern part of Merseyside borders onto Lancashire to the north and Greater Manchester to the east, with both parts of the county bordering Cheshire to the south. The territory comprising the county of Merseyside previously formed part of the administrative counties of Lancashire (east of the River Mersey) and Cheshire (west of
4704-406: The fire resistance of any particular design by constructing an 18 ft (5.5 m) by 10 ft (3.0 m) 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 . The design was submitted for planning permission in 1839 although it was not until 1841, when
4788-402: The five warehouses around the dock, referred to as A, B, C, D and E, are Grade I listed buildings. Collectively they cover 1.25m sq ft in size, the biggest such group of Grade I listed buildings anywhere in the UK. Also listed Grade I is the former dock traffic office. Other buildings around the dock are listed Grade II; they are the former hydraulic pumping station, and
4872-512: The forecast. Two years later, in 1990, The Beatles Story museum opened, the only Beatles -themed visitor attraction in Britain, providing yet another draw to the Albert Dock. Throughout the 1990s development continued including a new hotel and the conversion of vacant space for use by larger companies such as Telewest (Now Virgin Media). Finally in 2003, some 22 years after the renovation of
4956-560: The historic Aigburth Cricket Ground . Aintree Motor Racing Circuit hosted the British Grand Prix biennially between 1955 and 1961, and finally in 1962. Aintree Racecourse hosts the Grand National and there is also Haydock Park Racecourse . Totally Wicked Stadium hosts Rugby League and Hoylake hosts sailing (such as the Southport 24 Hour Race ) and is Britain's premier location for sand yachting. A ski slope facility
5040-657: The incoming Conservative government, but the concept of a two-tier metropolitan area based on the Mersey area was retained. A White Paper was published in 1971. The Local Government Bill presented to Parliament involved a substantial trimming from the White Paper, excluding the northern and southern fringes of the area, excluding Chester, Ellesmere Port, and, for the first time, including Southport, whose council had requested to be included. Further alterations took place in Parliament, with Skelmersdale being removed from
5124-420: The last leader of Liverpool City Council before the 1974 reforms took effect. The leaders of Merseyside County Council were: 53°24′54″N 2°59′31″W / 53.415°N 2.992°W / 53.415; -2.992 Merseyside Merseyside ( / ˈ m ɜːr z i s aɪ d / MUR -zee-syde ) is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England . It borders Lancashire to
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#17327867077145208-440: The later 19th century meant that soon the dock simply was not large enough, as its narrow entrances prevented larger vessels from entering it. 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. Nonetheless
5292-456: The loading and unloading of ships directly from the warehouses. 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 Katharine's Dock in London , which was opened in 1828. As part of the development process, Hartley was eager to test
5376-427: The network in the east of the county as the ' City Line ', but the services on it are not operated by Merseyrail. The Borderlands line connects the west of the Wirral to Wales , and is operated by Transport for Wales Rail . Liverpool Cruise Terminal provides facilities for long-distance passenger cruises. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines MS Black Watch and Cruise & Maritime Voyages MS Magellan use
5460-674: The north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Welsh county of Flintshire across the Dee Estuary to the southwest, and the Irish Sea to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Liverpool . The county is highly urbanised, with an area of 249 square miles (645 km ) and a population of 1.42 million. After Liverpool (552,267), the largest settlements are Birkenhead (143,968), St Helens (102,629), and Southport (94,421). For local government purposes
5544-425: 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. With the MDHB on the verge of bankruptcy a decision was taken to shut down and sell off
5628-532: The port's capacity when it opened in 2016. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is the county's international airport. It is in Speke , 6.5 miles (10.5 km) southeast of Liverpool city centre, with 5 million departures in 2020. Flights are primarily operated by easyJet and Ryanair , and over 70 destinations are served by the airport, including regular flights to the Near East and North Africa . The airport
5712-583: 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
5796-403: 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). Despite the official opening taking place in 1846, the construction of
5880-435: 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. With the council reluctant to allow such a grandiose development to occur and with the huge public opposition to it (inspired at least in part by the work of Quentin Hughes ), Oldham Estates were forced into scaling-down
5964-465: The spaces between were considered 'highly flexible', as new windows, stairwells and lift shafts could be added without risk to the building's structural integrity. The advanced design stretches far beyond what can be seen from the ground. The structures are free from wood, but their foundations contain 13,729 piles of timber, which would stretch for 48 miles (77 km) in length if laid end to end. Such heavily supportive foundations were needed because
6048-439: The speed with which they sold was likened to 'sales day at Harrods '. The Albert Dock was officially re-opened in 1988 by The Prince of Wales , the great-great-great-grandson of Prince Albert , the man who had originally opened the docks. It was timed to coincide with the opening of the newly finished Tate Liverpool , which was dubbed the 'Tate of the north' and at the time the only one outside London. The decision to locate
6132-484: The storage of goods transported by barge, road or rail. The onset of the Second World War , in 1939, saw the Albert Dock requisitioned by the Admiralty and used as base for the British Atlantic fleet . This included submarines, small warships, and landing craft docking. During the war, the dock was struck on several occasions by German bombs. This included one bombing raid in 1940 that damaged ships within
6216-611: The strategy two flagship schemes were set up: the redevelopment of a site in Otterspool for the International Garden Festival and the regeneration of the Albert Dock. In 1982 the MDC entered into negotiations with London -based developers Arrowcroft in order to secure much needed private sector investment. On a visit to the site, Arrowcroft's chairman Leonard Eppel spoke of how the buildings "talked to him" and upon his return to London set about persuading
6300-665: The terminal to depart to Iceland , France , Spain and Norway . Peel Ports have also planned a second cruise terminal as part of the Liverpool Waters project. Prince's Landing Stage on Liverpool's Pier Head serves Isle of Man Steam Packet Company summer service to the Isle of Man (and Mersey Ferries). The Twelve Quays ferry port in Birkenhead serves winter Isle of Man ferry service and Stena Line services to Belfast , Northern Ireland . Almost three quarters of
6384-466: The warehouses still under construction this was merely to allow these boats to "lay-up". The dock complex was officially opened in 1846 by Albert, Prince Consort , husband of Queen Victoria and the man in honour of whom it was named. This event marked the first occasion in 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
6468-470: The wartime bomb damage, adopting an attitude of "if it's not broke don't fix it, and if it is broke we still won't fix it". At the same time a change in geopolitical 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 . Nonetheless the architectural and technological value of
6552-471: 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. In many senses just as the Albert Dock's development had symbolised the prosperity in
6636-506: The world. It was known simply as the Albert Dock until 2018, when it was granted a royal charter and had the honorific "Royal" added to its name. At the time of its construction the dock was considered to be revolutionary in its design because ships were loaded and unloaded directly from or to the warehouses. Two years after it opened it was modified to feature the world's first hydraulic cranes . Due to its open yet secure design,
6720-711: Was also expanded to meet the increasing demand by joining together the eastern and western ends of the Southern Stack. 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 . Their openness to natural light and well ventilated stores, meant natural goods such as hemp or sugar could be kept fresher longer. The dock came to dominate Liverpool's far eastern trade, with over 90% of
6804-522: Was even willing to provide £3m in funding but like so many other plans this too fell by the wayside. 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. Despite this seeming step forward political wrangling between
6888-422: Was first drawn up from the 1950s. All the county's districts contain some portion of belt. Ipsos MORI polls in the boroughs of Sefton and Wirral in the 2000s showed that in general, residents of these boroughs identified slightly more strongly to Merseyside than to Lancashire or Cheshire respectively, but their affinity to Merseyside was more likely to be "fairly strong" than "very strong". Merseyside comprises
6972-485: Was marked with a major celebrations. 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
7056-444: Was removed from the dock basin, dock gates were replaced & bridges restored, whilst the dock walls were repaired. The Albert Dock company appointed Tarmac Construction to renovate the dock's vast warehouses and repair war time bomb damage. Structural surveys carried out by the MDC found the brickwork and foundations to be in very good condition and it was considered a testament to the strict build quality of Hartley 's design that
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