Passage into Liverpool

 We are now in the docks in Liverpool and have been since we came down the Liverpool Canal Link on Monday. We're here for a few days enjoying the sights but I thought it might be useful to show the approach into Liverpool Docks for those that haven't made this journey. The Liverpool Canal Link was opened in 2009 as part of an initiative to revitalise the docks in Liverpool to encourage more visitors. It is now possible to take a narrowboat down from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to moor in Salthouse Dock (next to the famous Albert Dock).

So this is the story of our trip down here:

We arrived on Sunday evening at Litherland. This is not a part of Liverpool where one would normally choose to moor overnight. However there is a CRT services block (toilet, rubbish etc) which is all behind locked gates (CRT key) so no-one other than fellow boaters can access. Alongside the canal is a huge Tesco so stocking up is easily done too.

On Monday morning we set off to cruise the four miles to the top of the Stanley Locks. No need for an early start as we aimed to be there for 1 pm. The morning contingent of boats coming up out of Liverpool had arrived at Litherland before we left. Boats are taken up from the docks first and then boats are allowed down so you are unlikely to meet a boat coming the other way. The mural in the photo is at Bootle and adds some decoration to a fairly drab part of the world.

Passing through Bootle we passed this old canal arm left over from the commercial era.

As this milepost shows we are getting close by this point. The milepost shows 2 miles to Liverpool and 125 and a quarter miles to Leeds.

Some of the route passes through industrial dereliction. An old chimney here has found a new purpose as a mobile phone mast.

And here we are passing an old covered wharf where narrowboats were once loaded and unloaded under cover of the projecting roof.

This interesting cast iron bridge is near to the top of the locks. Oddly the bridge sign says that it was re-erected by the Health Committee in 1861. Why was the Health Committee involved in bridge building? I do not know but scope for research here I think. The bridge was made at the Union Foundry in Liverpool.

Here we are coming to the right turn under the pipe bridge into the top lock of the Stanley Lock Flight of 4 locks which leads down to the docks. This was historically the way in which narrowboats and broad beam 'short boats' went down into the docks to load up from ships that had arrived via the River Mersey. You can go straight on here to Eldonian Basin a couple of hundred yards further but last time we went it was pretty horrible - full of weed and litter. We have read that it has been cleaned up but we don't know that for sure. I'd certainly be reluctant to spend the night there.

There were so many volunteer lock keepers on duty on Monday that we did not have to lift a paddle or push a lock gate as we came down the four locks with another boat. Our plan had been to have lunch at the top of the flight and wait until people turned up at the appointed time of 1 pm to let us down. However at about 11.45 we arrived to find another boat just going into the lock, so we joined them. The trip through the Link took about an hour and a half. The picture is taken from the entry to lock 3 and looks through a railway arch towards the Victoria Clock Tower and to the left of that you can see the bascule bridge between Stanley and Collingwood Docks.

Here we are in the bottom lock about to go forward into Stanley Dock. To the left is the huge Tobacco Warehouse which is still said to be the largest brick building in the world. 27 million bricks we're told but we've not counted them!

The first of the docks is Stanley Dock. The Tobacco Warehouse is to the left and is being converted into flats while on the right is the Titanic Hotel in another old warehouse.

Chaps were in the process of cleaning the windows of the Hotel by abseiling down.

As we crossed the Salisbury Dock towards the Victoria Clock Tower the strong wind was whipping up some significant waves and the left turn into 'Sid's Ditch' was a bit tricky. Beyond the Clock Tower is the River Mersey.

Looking back you can see the stupendous size of the Tobacco Warehouse.

Here we are about to make the left turn to run parallel to the Mersey, but thankfully in a separate channel and so not subject to its speedy tidal currents and choppy waters.

This is the start of Sid's Ditch. For just over half a mile the route lies outside (i.e. on the river side) of the old docks but an embankment has been made to separate the channel from the river. Keep away from the right hand side of the channel because it slopes gradually down and it might be possible to ground the boat.

By this point we did feel we were getting there with the distant view of the Liver Building ahead. Under the sloping bridge ahead we entered Prince's Dock between the modern buildings.

Here we are crossing Prince's Dock and heading towards Prince's Dock Lock. This is a modern lock which takes the boat down a couple of feet to a new channel in front of the 'Three Graces' - the splendid waterfront buildings from the beginning of the 20th century. A CRT chap who had hitched a lift on the boat in front of us, let us through the lock.

Three new concrete lined tunnels follow. The building ahead is the Museum of Liverpool (well worth a visit) while on the left is first the Cunard Building and then the Port of Liverpool Building which, together with the Liver Building, form the 'Three Graces'.

Here we are looking up as we passed the Liver Building at almost one o'clock.

After the three tunnels we passed through the final lock - Mann Island Lock which let us down just a short way to the level of Canning Dock. The tall chimney is on the Pump House, now a pub but originally for pumping hydraulic pressure to operate all the gates and paddles and cranes around the docks. From Canning Dock we passed the end of two 'graving docks' for ship repair and then turned right into Canning Half Tide Lock. At the end of this one is another gate allowing access to the Mersey.

Here we are passing the Pump House and heading for the fine brick buildings which surround the Albert Dock.

Near the river end of Canning Half Tiide Lock we followed our companions and turned left under a swing bridge into the Albert Dock. The multicoloured 'T' is beside Tate Liverpool which is on the river side of Albert Dock.

And this is Albert Dock which Michael Hesletine memorably saved from demolition and conversion into a car park! The warehouses were designed to be fireproof because they were mainly used to store cotton and tobacco which are a major fire risk. So there is no wood in the warehouse construction only steel, brick and stone. So sure was their builder that it would work he arranged to have a fire lit in one to demonstrate how resilient they were. Albert Dock is now a major tourist attraction and home to the Tate and many restaurants as well as showers for boaters!

At the far side of Albert Dock we passed under another bridge to enter Salthouse Dock, our final destination and our mooring for five nights.You can just see Leo below where it says 'John Lewis'. Salthouse Dock was where salt was loaded onto boats. On the landward side now is the Liverpool One shopping area, so handy for visiting boaters.

So there you have it - the Liverpool Canal Link - a wonderful initiative. As I type and publish this we have come almost to the end of our stay in Liverpool and tomorrow (Saturday 9th) we leave to return up the link to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.It is worth adding that there are lots of things to do in Liverpool so we have not been idle and would happily come again.