Thread by @CITiZAN1

Hello and welcome to today’s virtual #LowTideTrail #archaeology walk. Today we’ll take a Twitter based tour of #Liverpool’s Albert Docks. Join us to learn about the cities maritime past #LiverpoolBayDiscovery

400 years ago, Liverpool (or Lerpole) was a tidal inlet where ships could seek relative safety while unloading their cargo. Land reclamation of the Pool started in the late 16th century (300 years ago) and was complete by the early 1700s. This paved the way for the first dock.

As trade started to increase, a dock was required to ensure ships could unload their cargoes quickly & safely. The first dock was designed by Thomas Steers, covering an area of 1.4 hectares was designed to harbour 100 ships. Construction started in 1710 and it was opened in 1715.

Today The Strand marks the line of the 17th Century foreshore. Following the reclamation of The Pool, land to the west was reclaimed from the Mersey during later reclamation and dock construction. This 1859 map shows the 17th c. foreshore in green. Map courtesy of @MerseyMaritime

Salthouse Dock, opened 1753, was the second wet dock to be constructed in Liverpool.
Designed by Thomas Steers, but probably finished by Henry Berry. This dock was renamed Salthouse, receiving the name from a salt works that sat nearby on the Eastern extent of the dock.

Canning Dock was created in 1829 by locking the 1737 Dry Dock, the tidal entrance to the Old Dock of 1710-16.
Named after George Canning a politician, the dock was closed in 1972. Some of the walls are believed to be the oldest visible surviving walls on the dock estate.

Albert Dock is a closed dock and warehouse complex built in 1843-7 by Jesse Hartley. The dock covers an area of 3.1 hectares. Named after Prince Albert who officially opened the dock in July 1845. There's so much to see here that #AlbertDock could be its own #LowTideTrail!

This anchor came from the HMS Conway. HMS Conway served as a training ship on the Mersey for the #RoyalNavy. You can find out more about the Conway in this CITIZAN blog-
citizan.org.uk/blog/2019/Sep/…

This is the former entrance to the Manchester Dock. Originally a tidal basin, the entrance was constructed from 1810 to 1815. The dock was used for exporting and importing coal, cotton and corn.

Find out more in this #TimeTeam episode-

This combined railway warehouse and office was designed to process cargoes brought by boat from the Great Western Railway's premises at Morpeth Dock, Birkenhead to Manchester Dock, for onward road delivery in Liverpool. #WW2 bomb splinter damage can still be seen on the building

The Port of Liverpool Building was built in 1907 as the office for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. The Port of Liverpool Building, together with the Liver and Cunard Building's, are known as The Three Graces.

The Cunard Building was constructed from 1913-16 as the head offices for the Cunard Steamship Company. Designed by Willink and Thickness with Arthur Davies, the Cunard building is built from Portland stone and features six storeys.

The Royal Liver Assurance, founded in 1850 established this head office in Liverpool between 1908-11.
This was the first large scale building in the world to be constructed using a ferro-concrete frame and steel beams to carry the weight of the outer walls and the floors.

The Mersey Ferry service can be traced back as far as the 12th century, when the Monks of Birkenhead Priory would row people across the Mersey for a small fee.
The ferry service continues to be a popular tourist attraction and mode of transport to this day.

This is a mast from the SS Salvor. Constructed by Ferguson Brothers Ltd., Glasgow, the SS Salvor was operated by the #Mersey Docks & Harbour Board/Company until scrapped at Garston in 1978. #TheBeatles posed for a publicity photo shoot on the SS Salvor in September 1962.

This is Albion House, which was the White Star Line’s office.
On the morning of the #Titanic disaster, the office was besieged by the press and distraught relatives of passengers. Employees called down the latest news, including the lists of the dead, from the lower balconies.

Right, that brings this virtual #LowTideTrail to a close. Thank you for joining us. Time for hearty bowl of scouse #Scouseoclock!!

You can follow the trail again via Thinglink and find out more-
thinglink.com/scene/13047694…

Like to see a quick walk through of the walk? Then check this out, filmed last year 🙂 #liverpoolbaydiscovery