Albert Dock, Liverpool

Albert Dock, Liverpool, former docks on the River Mersey and now Britain’s most popular heritage attraction, with around 5 million visitors per year. The docks were built in the mid-19th century and were officially opened by Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, in 1846. It was originally built for sailing ships, but it was found that the water in the docks was not deep enough to accommodate the new steamships (see Ships and Shipbuilding). With the general decline in trade in the area in the 20th century, the docks fell into disuse, and were eventually closed in 1972.

In the 1980s Albert Dock was refurbished and now houses attractions such as museums, galleries, and a television studio, as well as shops and restaurants. It consists of five impressive buildings that together make up Britain’s largest coherent group of Grade I listed buildings, with a total floor area of 116,000 sq m (1.25 million sq ft). The Merseyside Maritime Museum includes exhibitions on emigration to the United States through Liverpool, and on another aspect of the city’s former prosperity, slavery. An additional attraction is the Liverpool Tate Gallery, the Tate’s first provincial branch; its collection focuses on modern art (see Modern Art and Architecture), showing permanent collections from the London Tate as well as touring exhibitions from around the world.