Liverpool Dock Link

Boats leaving the Stanley Dock enter first Collingwood Dock then Salisbury Dock, turning left in front of the six sided clock. There is then a channel which used to be simply for drainage but now it has been improved for boating. This takes you up to Waterloo Dock and Princes Half Tide Dock.

The level of Princes Half Tide Dock was reduced during the canal construction. A new apartment building was built along side it.

The old canal basin at Old Hall Street was once the closest point between the canal and the dock system. There was no direct link but goods were moved between dock and canal by cart. In recent years Princes Dock has been redeveloped with offices, residential tower blocks and hotels built around it. Some of this redevelopment has had to be adapted to allow for the canal link. The footbridge across the dock was too low to allow boats to pass underneath it and so was removed and re-positioned. Access from Waterloo Dock had to be reinstated.  At the south end of the dock a lock has been built to link to the new canal tunnel.

Between Princes Dock and the Pier Head is St Nicholas Place. A tunnel has been built across a car park which was once dock side buildings.  The old floating access road for the landing stage was once here, the narrow inlet has been filled in and the canal tunnel crosses it. This area is now once again an access point to the new landing stage.

The tunnel from St Nicholas Place enters the North Basin. The area was lawns before the canal basin was dug. The excavations uncovered the old bus terminal. Former stone river walls were also uncovered.

In front of the middle of the Three Graces is a tunnel linking the North and South Basins. The old Chinese restaurant and ferry buildings were demolished and a new ferry building built. The area is lawns once again with the canal underneath. Stone thought to be from one of the old Town Hall buildings was found.

The Pier Head is home to many memorials to those who died in the world wars and King Edward VII. The memorials were moved to allow for the canal construction. The statue of Edward VII was removed and taken away to be cleaned. The plinth was moved and rebuilt.

At the southern end of the Pier Head, in front of the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board building is the South Basin. The basin has stepped sides and links up to the tunnel which passes under the new museum building.

On the site of the old Manchester Dock a new museum is being built. When the foundations were being excavated the old lock gates were uncovered. A short part of the canal tunnel was built before the work started on the museum. The museum is partially over the canal which passes underneath in a tunnel. The museum is expected to be open by 2010

Mann Island was once covered with terraced houses with basement dwellings. Post war it had car show rooms and a large car park. The car show rooms were demolished and the site cleared. The basements of the old houses were uncovered and foundations of a building once part of a railway tunnel air ventilation system.  A lock into Canning Dock was built and a canal basin constructed on Mann Island.

Boats leave Mann Island and enter Canning Dock, then go through Albert Dock to reach the mooring pontoons in Salthouse Dock. For those who do not know the docks it is turn right, right, then turn left, left.