| Morpeth Dock | |
|---|---|
 Morpeth Dock in 2022 | |
| Location | |
| Location | Birkenhead, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 53°23′56″N3°00′44″W / 53.3989°N 3.0121°W |
| OS grid | SJ324895 |
| Details | |
| Owner | Peel Holdings |
| Opened | 1847 |
| Joins |
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Morpeth Dock is a dock at Birkenhead, Wirral Peninsula, England. The dock is situated between the River Mersey and Egerton Dock.
Built between 1844 and 1847, [1] it is named after Lord Morpeth, the 7th Earl of Carlisle, who was the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests. [1] The dock was opened in 1847, and the branch dock was built between 1866 and 1868. [2] By 1872, the dock had been significantly remodelled with the branch dock and a canal basin for the GWR's goods station. [1] Morpeth Dock Goods station was used by the GWR as the Birkenhead end of cross-river traffic to the Manchester Dock. Morpeth Dock provided berths for the Bibby Line, the Brocklebank Line, Holt and the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, all of which worked to the Far East. [1] The branch dock was too small for ships, and was used to site one of the Queensway Tunnel ventilation towers in 1934, along with a water pumping station in 1955. [1] The pumping station later became a water treatment plant, now replacing the entire basin of the branch dock.
Originally, the dock connected directly to the River Mersey via the locks of the Morpeth River Entrance, although the entrance channel has since been partially infilled and the locks removed after being disused for some years. Access to the Great Float via Egerton Dock has also been removed, making both docks effectively landlocked. [3]
The dockside sheds of the former Morpeth Branch Dock were restored around 1992, [1] and contain the Pacific Road Business Centre.
Situated close to the dock and overlooking the river, the One O'Clock Gun provided a time signal to shipping on the Mersey. It was fired electrically from Bidston Observatory for the first time on 21 September 1867 and the original cannon was a relic of the Crimean War. Due to the advent of radio and increasing maintenance costs, by 1932 it was proposed to discontinue the One O'Clock Gun. Although this did not occur, firing was suspended during the Second World War. The tradition ceased altogether on 18 July 1969. [4]
A One O'Clock Gun is still fired at Edinburgh Castle. [ citation needed ]
Birkenhead docks, as well as the surrounding area, were heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. In May 2006, a 60-year-old, 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb was discovered by the Royal Navy's Northern Diving Group and disposed of by the minesweeper HMS Atherstone. [5] It was found embedded in mud in the river, near to the former entrance to Morpeth Dock and may have been disturbed during dredging work at the Twelve Quays ferry terminal. The bomb was later detonated in Liverpool Bay. [6]
Gladstone 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 Bootle. The dock is connected to Seaforth Dock to the north and what remains of Hornby Dock to the south. Part of Liverpool Freeport, Gladstone Dock is operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.
Alexandra 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 Bootle. Alexandra Dock consists of a main basin nearest the river wall and three branch docks to the east, with the southern branch mostly filled in.
Langton 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 Bootle, connected to Alexandra Dock to the north and Brocklebank Dock to the south. Langton Dock locks provide a working connection to the river; one of the two remaining operational river entrances in the northern dock system.
Brocklebank 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 Bootle, connected to Langton Dock to the north and Canada Dock to the south. Carriers' Dock was originally sited to the east.
Canada 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 Kirkdale. Canada Dock consists of a main basin nearest the river wall with three branch docks and a graving dock to the east. It is connected to Brocklebank Dock to the north and Huskisson Dock to the south.
Huskisson Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England, which forms part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Kirkdale. Huskisson Dock consists of a main basin nearest the river wall and two branch docks to the east. It is connected to Canada Dock to the north and Sandon Half Tide Dock to the south.
Prince's Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is the most southerly of the docks situated in the northern part of the Liverpool dock system, connected to Prince's Half-Tide Dock to the north. The dock is now in the buffer zone to one of Liverpool's World Heritage Sites.
Canning Dock on the River Mersey is part of the Port of Liverpool in northern England. The dock is in the southern dock system, connected to Salthouse Dock to the south and with access to the river via the Canning Half Tide Dock to the west. The Canning Graving Docks are accessed from the dock.
Salthouse Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the southern dock system, connected to Canning Dock to the north, Wapping Dock via Wapping Basin to the south and Albert Dock to the west.
Harrington Dock was a dock on the River Mersey and part of the Port of Liverpool. Situated in the southern dock system, it was connected to Toxteth Dock to the north and Herculaneum Dock to the south.
Manchester Dock was a dock on the River Mersey in England and a part of the Port of Liverpool. The dock was not part of the interconnected dock system, but was connected directly to the river.
Carriers' Dock was a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. The dock was situated in the northern dock system and connected to Brocklebank Dock to the west.
George's Dock was a dock, on the River Mersey, England, within the Port of Liverpool. It was connected to Canning Dock to the south and George's Basin to the north.
The George's Basin was a dock on the River Mersey, England, within the Port of Liverpool. The basin surface covered 3 acres (1.2 ha) and was surrounded by George's Dock to the south, Prince's Dock to the north and the Mersey to the west.
The Great Float is a body of water on the Wirral Peninsula, England, formed from the natural tidal inlet, the Wallasey Pool. It is split into two large docks, East Float and West Float, both part of the Birkenhead Docks complex. The docks run approximately 2 miles (3 km) inland from the River Mersey, dividing the towns of Birkenhead and Wallasey. The Great Float consists of 110 acres (45 ha) of water and more than 4 miles (6 km) of quays.
Egerton Dock is a dock at Birkenhead, in England. The dock is situated between East Float and Morpeth Dock, within Birkenhead's dock system.
Alfred Dock is a dock at Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The dock covers an area of 8 acres (32,000 m2) and provides access to the Great Float from the River Mersey.
The Wallasey Dock, was a dock at Birkenhead, Wirral Peninsula, England. The dock was accessed via East Float to the west, until Wallasey Dock was filled at the turn of the millennium.
Twelve Quays is a ferry terminal and business park which is located between East Float and the River Mersey at Birkenhead, in England. Twelve Quays separates Woodside from Seacombe.
Sandon Dock was a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. Situated in the northern dock system, it was east of Sandon Half Tide Dock, to which it was once connected.
