Waterfront
Royal Albert Dock
Before the dock, this ground between Salthouse Dock and the Canning Dock channel held houses, a pub and the Dock Trustees' dockyard, and 59 tenants were evicted to clear it. Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick's warehouses, opened by Prince Albert in 1846, were the first in Britain built without structural wood.
- Engineers
- Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick
- Opened
- 1846, by Prince Albert
- Heritage
- Grade I listed warehouses
- Innovation
- No structural wood
To make room for the dock, buildings between Salthouse Dock, the Canning Dock entrance channel and Duke’s Dock were demolished, among them a pub, several houses and the Dock Trustees’ dockyard, and 59 tenants were evicted.
Designed by the engineers Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick, the dock was opened by Prince Albert in 1846 and finished in 1847. Its warehouses were the first structures in Britain built of cast iron, brick and stone with no wood in any structural element, a fireproof system for storing valuable cargo.
The dock closed in 1972. Redevelopment began in 1981, Tate Liverpool opened in 1988, and the five warehouses and the former dock traffic office are Grade I listed.
- 1840s
Houses, a pub and the Dock Trustees' dockyard are cleared from the site.
- 1846
Prince Albert opens the dock.
- 1972
The dock closes.
- 1981
Redevelopment begins.
- 1988
Tate Liverpool opens.
How much history this place holds
The Old Town Time Meter
Old Town Time Meter
72/100
Landmark
- Time on this spot180 years, since 1846 (dock opened)24/40
- Age of the present building180 years, built 184618/20
- Layers of history5 documented chapters15/15
- Heritage protectionGrade I listed15/15
Part of the historic district of Royal Albert Dock · district meter 80/100, Landmark
An index of the documented time and history held by this place, part of Old Town Liverpool's Quantum Energy Mapping. How it is measured.
Old Town Liverpool guides
With the story behind the building
Make an evening of it
What's on nearby
Things to do
Tours that start nearby
- Bus tours · Sightseeing from £15 per adult City Explorer Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour City Explorer Liverpool (Maghull Coaches) Times, prices & meeting point
- Beatles · Bus tours from £20 per adult Beatles Explorer Bus Tour City Explorer Liverpool (Maghull Coaches) Times, prices & meeting point
- River cruises · Sightseeing from £14 per adult Mersey Ferries River Explorer Cruise Mersey Ferries Times, prices & meeting point
Around Royal Albert Dock
Sources: Wikipedia: Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool; Food Standards Agency food hygiene rating data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 16 October 2026.