Manchester Dock
The Museum of Liverpool sits on the site of one of the oldest parts of the Liverpool docks, the Manchester Dock.
In 2007, before the museum was built, the Museum of Liverpool archaeology team undertook an archaeological project on the waterfront site earmaked for its construction.
Documentary and map evidence shows that the area earmarked for the Museum of Liverpool contained part of Manchester Dock, including part of the entrance lock, and the southern wall of the Chester Basin.
Manchester Dock was constructed as a tidal basin in 1785. The basin would naturally fill with water as the tides rose, and empty at low tide. An entrance lock was added in the 1800s which allowed for better control over the level of water in the dock. The Chester Basin was constructed in 1795 and remained a tidal basin. It was never converted into an enclosed dock.