Liverpool old dock tour - Maritime Museum

[dogless]

This week we are sampling the delights of the City of Liverpool, from our mooring in Salthouse dock.

It's our first visit, and we can only highly recommend it.

The experience of entering the docks by boat is breath taking.

 

However the highlight so far is the old dock tour. It's free and has to be booked in advance with the Maritime Museum. They are operated on Tuesday and Wednesday....I believe several times a day.

 

To stand underneath the foundations of the new Liverpool One complex, whilst looking down into a three hundred year old wet dock is amazing, and the tour guide is a humorous entertainer in his own right.

 

I strongly suggest that this tour is a must for any visit.

 

By the way, the service from C & RT staff getting you into the city is excellent. Thank you C&RT.

 

regards

Rog

[pearley]

I would echo that. Jeannette and I had the experience of the two of us and two guides. Their comments about 'that long haired one on Time Team' were worth the free admission!

[Jim Riley]

It's on my list, when my new old project is finished, to venture down from the top of the Rochdale. I can see the Liverpool cathedrals using binocs from top of the hill, on a very clear day.

[ValandPete]

We really enjoyed it too. Also enjoyed visiting the pilot ship Edmund Gardner. Have to book that too at the museum.

 

Val

[Ange]

We're booked to go to Liverpool at the end of August - we've been meaning to go for six years and finally got round to it.

 

Thanks for the heads up - I'll look into booking the tour

[Pluto]

However the highlight so far is the old dock tour. It's free and has to be booked in advance with the Maritime Museum. They are operated on Tuesday and Wednesday....I believe several times a day.

 

To stand underneath the foundations of the new Liverpool One complex, whilst looking down into a three hundred year old wet dock is amazing, and the tour guide is a humorous entertainer in his own right.

What he probably didn't tell you is that Thomas Steers, the engineer and builder of the first dock, can be regarded as one of the most important founders of our canal system. The Mersey & Irwell Navigation was his idea, as was the Douglas Navigation, the fore-runner of the L&LC. He also completed the Newry Canal, Britain's first summit level canal, using ground paddles, the first time they had been used in Britain. Ground paddles were subsequently used on upper gates on almost every British canal, with upper gate paddles only being introduced when railway competition began. To me, he is more important than Brindley, in that he realised that economic and industrial development would only happen if there was a good transport infrastructure, which resulted in his early river navigations and canals. His student and successor, Henry Berry, built the Sankey Navigation.

[dogless]

Just out of interest.....been to Port Sunlight today on the Metro (who knew Liverpool had a Metro !!) ?

The Lady Lever Gallery is superb. If you are a fan of Pre-Raphaelite painting it is unmissable.

Do not miss the tours which run at 11am and 2pm.

It's all free but spend some money and make a donation....Liverpool is wonderful.

regards

Rog

[AlanWT]

Grew up in Liverpool. As boys we used to go fishing in the Albert Dock and occasionally find our way in to the then derelict and empty buildings. Huge dark silent scary spaces, we'd last about 5 minutes until the collective nerve broke and we'd trample each other in a frenzy to get out.

 

Taking Orion there is high on my bucket list.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

We'll be bringing RUNE into Salthouse Dock next week (29th) and am looking forward to it. Will keep an eye on this thread for ideas of where to visit whilst there