Langton Dock
Encyclopedia
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
on the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and part of the Port of Liverpool
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the name for the enclosed 7.5 mile dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river...
. It is situated in the northern dock system in Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
, connected to Alexandra Dock to the north and Brocklebank Dock
Brocklebank Dock
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. Carrier Dock was originally sited to the east....
to the south. Langton Dock locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
provide a working connection to the river; one of only two remaining operational river entrances in the northern dock system.
Officially opened in 1881, the dock had been partially in use since 1879. It was named after William Langton, a member of the dock committee, and a former Chairman of the Bank of Liverpool
Bank of Liverpool
The Bank of Liverpool was a financial institution founded in 1831 in Liverpool, England.In 1918, it acquired Martins Bank, and the name of the merged bank became the Bank of Liverpool and Martins Ltd...
. As originally built, Langton Dock consisted of a basin adjoining the river wall, with a branch dock and two graving docks to the east. Access from the river was initially via Canada Basin.
Subsequent modifications were made to Langton Dock and the surrounding basins during the twentieth century to improve access. This included the construction of the Langton Dock river entrance, which was eventually opened on 14 December 1962 after a delay of some years.
The branch dock and graving docks were filled in, providing parking spaces for vehicles using the former Brocklebank Dock ferry terminal to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Since the closure of the Pier Head's Princes Landing Stage, the remaining dock basin has been occasionally used as a berth for visiting cruise ships.