Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Weather docks.jpg|thumb|100px|The floating weather map of the British Isles]] |
[[Image:Weather docks.jpg|thumb|100px|The floating weather map of the British Isles]] |
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For many years from 1988 to 1996 the [[ITV]] television show ''[[This Morning (television)|This Morning]]'', hosted by [[Richard and Judy]], was broadcast from studios in the dockside buildings. |
For many years from 1988 to 1996 the [[ITV]] television show ''[[This Morning (television)|This Morning]]'', hosted by [[Richard and Judy]], was broadcast from studios in the dockside buildings. Weather presenter [[Fred Talbot]] used a floating map of the British Isles to describe the outlook. The map was eventually removed in 2003. |
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The Albert Dock inspired the remodelling of [[Buenos Aires]]'s own dock, [[Puerto Madero]]. |
The Albert Dock inspired the remodelling of [[Buenos Aires]]'s own dock, [[Puerto Madero]]. |
Revision as of 17:07, 4 February 2008
The Albert Dock in Liverpool, England, was opened in 1846 by its namesake, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Based on plans submitted in 1839 by the civil engineers Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick, for a combined dock and warehouse system, shipping entered the dock from either Canning Half Tide Dock to the North or Salthouse Dock to the east.
The Albert Dock was built entirely of cast iron, brick, and stone, with no structural wood; it was the first building in the UK to be built in such a manner. It was also the first fire-proof warehousing system in the world. In 1848 it was upgraded to feature the world's first hydraulic warehouse hoist system. The five Grade I buildings, covering 1.25 million sq ft, make the Albert Dock complex the largest set of Grade 1 Listed Buildings in the UK.[1]
The dock closed to shipping in 1972 and suffered from dereliction for a period until it was redeveloped in the early 1980s by Arrowcroft Group plc with funding from the Merseyside Development Corporation; this work, which was carried out by Tarmac Construction[2], involved a total structural refurbishment of all five buildings and included rebuilding a top corner of a warehouse which had been knocked off by a World War II bomb. The buildings now contain a variety of bars, restaurants and museums, as well as hotels and office space.
The Merseyside Maritime Museum occupies most of the north side of the dock. Albert Dock is also home to Tate Liverpool, the northern branch of the Tate Gallery. It is also home to the Virgin Media National Service Centre (formerly Telewest), taking hundreds of thousands of calls from Virgin Media customers reporting faults.
It is used as a ship dock once a year for the Liverpool Tall Ships festival.
For many years from 1988 to 1996 the ITV television show This Morning, hosted by Richard and Judy, was broadcast from studios in the dockside buildings. Weather presenter Fred Talbot used a floating map of the British Isles to describe the outlook. The map was eventually removed in 2003.
The Albert Dock inspired the remodelling of Buenos Aires's own dock, Puerto Madero.
See also
References
- ^ Helen Carter (2003-03-07). "Glory of Greece, grandeur of Rome ... and docks of Liverpool". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
- ^ Berry Ritchie, The Story of Tarmac Page 99, Published by James & James (Publishers) Ltd, 1999
External links
- Liverpool World Heritage: The Albert Dock Conservation Area
- Multimap: Aerial Photograph
- Albert Dock: Homepage
- Merseyworld: The Albert Dock
- Website about Hardwick
- Liverpool Museums: Albert Dock History
- Mersey Gateway: Albert Dock
- BBC: Webcam
- Old Map
- Official Tourist Board Website for Liverpool
- Virtual Tour Image of Albert Dock