Birkenhead Docks History 

Active Period - 1820 to present

1820s

There are plans to build docks on the Birkenhead side of the river. There are five main reasons for this:

• there is plenty of room for growth
• the surrounding hills shelter Birkenhead from the westerly winds. Liverpool is not protected
• it has deeper water than Liverpool so bigger ships can use the docks
• it is only a mile from Liverpool town centre. A new dock at the far end of Liverpool docks would be several miles away
• land is cheaper than on the Liverpool-side of the river

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1847  

Morpeth & Egerton Docks open after years of planning and political plotting.

1851-60

The Great Float opens. It has been formed by closing Wallasey Pool and using Egerton Dock as an entrance. It is planned as a link to other docks that will be built off its quays, but instead will become a dock in its own right. It will have 110 acres of water and more than four miles of quays. It is split into East (1851) and West (1860) Floats.

1850s

Emigrants are leaving East Float on ships bound for Australia.

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1866

Alfred Dock is constructed. With its large river locks it provides good access to the Great Float [image, new window].

1868

Following the repeal (withdrawal) of the Corn Laws more grain is imported through Birkenhead. There is a lot of demand for grain from the growing industrial towns of northern England.

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1870

Corn warehouses are built on the Great Float. They store imported grain before it is moved on.

1870s

Developing countries like North and South America have large areas of land ideal for rearing sheep and cattle. They have more animals than they use, and so send huge quantities to the growing industrial towns of Britain on fast steamships. At Birkenhead they are sold to farmers or slaughterhouses.

1871

A large railway network has developed around the Birkenhead docks. It has stations for goods and rail connections to all the quays. Coal for steamships is brought by rail from South Wales and loaded onto ships at the Great Float.

Morpeth Dock is the site of the one o'clock gun. It is used by ships to set their chronometers.

1873

Large concrete casements (containers with thick walls) are built at the far end of the West Float. They are for storing inflammable oil and petrol.

1877

Wallasey Dock opens. It had been the unsuccessful Great Low Water Basin.

1878

Sickness destroys Britain's sheep and cattle. The disease has been imported with foreign animals. It is now illegal to import animals unless they are slaughtered or quarantined (isolated) in licensed quays. These are called Foreign Animal Wharves. Lairages, slaughterhouses, chill rooms and meat-stores are built at Morpeth and Wallasey Docks.

1880s

Docks and railways are built in South Wales. Birkenhead is not needed to export Welsh coal anymore.

1885

Birkenhead's oil and petrol trade grows. Storage tanks with pipes connecting them directly to berths on the West Float are built.

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1893

Dockside mills are built. Imported grain can now be processed before it is transported inland. This reduces transport costs.

1894

The Manchester Ship Canal opens. It joins the Mersey at Eastham (up river from Birkenhead) and was built to avoid Liverpool.

1897

The imported animal trade is booming. 40-50% of Britain's trade in American sheep and cattle passes through Birkenhead.

1900

The development of good refrigeration means that frozen meat can be imported rather than live animals. This is cheaper, easier and more humane. The live animal trade declines.

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1905

Vittoria Dock is built between 1905 and 1909. It is used by East Asian traders who want an accessible, organised dock.

1912

Foot and mouth disease breaks out in Ireland. It is necessary to quarantine live Irish cattle so Birkenhead's lairages are saved.

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1920s

Miners' strikes lead to more coal being imported through Birkenhead. Between World Wars I & II Merseyside is the largest flour-milling centre in Europe [image, new window].

1933

Bidston Dock opens at the end of West Float. It deals in general cargoes [image, new window].

1939

Birkenhead Docks reach their peak of activity. They are handling about 13% of Liverpool's trade. [image, new window]

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1950

Vittoria Dock is expanded to take larger ships, especially those from East Asia. Iron ore (for John Summers' steelworks at Shotton) is handled in large quantities at Bidston Dock.

1960s

Birkenhead's main trades are falling. The developing countries (e.g. India) once imported goods from Birkenhead but have become competitors. European ports are also taking Birkenhead's business [image, new window].

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1970s

Many Birkenhead docks are no longer used.

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1980s

Merseyside Development Corporation is created. It brings new European funds to regenerate Birkenhead.

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Today

Land at the east end of the Great Float has been developed into The Twelve Quays. It transports cargo and people between Merseyside and Ireland. This service has moved from the Liverpool side of the river as the ferries can save an hour on an Irish Sea crossing: they no longer have to travel through Liverpool's enclosed dock system. It also has a new floating stage that can take two ro-ro ferries at the same time.

Wallasey and Bidston Docks have been filled. Morpeth and Egerton Docks have been environmentally improved and their quaysides developed industry, offices and museums.

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