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Alexandra Dock, Liverpool

Coordinates: 53°26′51″N 3°00′43″W / 53.4474°N 3.0120°W / 53.4474; -3.0120
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Alexandra Dock
"Go Pegasus" in Alexandra Dock, seen from across the River Mersey
Location
LocationBootle, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Coordinates53°26′51″N 3°00′43″W / 53.4474°N 3.0120°W / 53.4474; -3.0120
OS gridSJ328849
Details
OwnerPeel Holdings
OperatorMersey Docks and Harbour Company
Opened1881
TypeWet dock
Joins
Area44 acres (18 ha)[1]
Transport links

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.

Alexandra Dock, April 2017.
Loading steel scrap at Alexandra Dock, April 2017.

History

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Northern docks of Liverpool

The dock was built by George Fosbery Lyster between 1874 and 1882.[1] During its construction, the dock was known as Atlantic Dock for about a year.[2] Opened in 1881 and named in honour of Queen Alexandra,[2] the dock has three branch docks and is connected to Hornby Dock to the north and Langton Dock to the south.[3] Initially, access was through Langton Dock and the problematic Canada Basin.[2]

Prior to the construction of Seaforth Dock, Alexandra Dock was involved in the grain trade.[4] The grain silos had a 110,000 ton capacity, with floor space for a further 20,000 tons.[2] The dock also had refrigeration facilities, which were provided by Union Cold Storage,[4] for imported frozen meat. When built, the cold store was the largest in Europe with a capacity of 2,668,000 cu ft (75,500 m3).[2] The facility was built at the end of No. 3 Branch Dock, and allowed direct transfer to ships in No. 2 Branch Dock.[2]

The dock was served by LNWR Alexandra Dock railway station and the Liverpool Overhead Railway's Alexandra Dock (LOR) railway station.

Latterly, its main export is recycled scrap metal.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b Pollard & Pevsner 2006, p. 277
  2. ^ a b c d e f McCarron & Jarvis 1992, pp. 4–6
  3. ^ McCarron & Jarvis 1992, pp. viii–ix
  4. ^ a b Woolley 1989, p. 28
  5. ^ Trading Places: A History of Liverpool Docks, Liverpool Museums, archived from the original on 28 October 2008, retrieved 16 July 2008

Sources

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