- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
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The Liverpool Landing Stages were constructed around 1850. The northern section was known as the Princes Landing Stage. Immediately behind the Princes stage stood the Riverside Station which opened in 1895. For the transatlantic travellers it meant that they only had a short walk to or from the liners berthed at the Princes Landing Stage.
Princes Dock History
Active Period - 1810 to 1981
1810
Building begins on the Princes Dock site. The project runs late because of:
* the Napoleonic War (money and staff shortages)
* mismanagement
* fiddling
1821
Princes Dock opens. It is the first dock to be surrounded by walls to prevent theft. It has been built to take sailing vessels running to North America
1840s
Already Princes Dock is losing the North American trade after only twenty years. It moves into the high value, low bulk East Asia and South American trades, e.g. coffee and spices.
1876
Georges and Princes landing stages are joined together and extended. The whole structure becomes known as Princes Stage. At the time it is the longest floating structure in the world. Princes Landing Stage inhabits the northern end of the stage (the Pier Head is at the south end). It is visited by Cunard, White Star and Canadian Pacific Lines.
Most of the great passenger liners spend some time in the North Docks before collecting passengers at the stage. There they load and unload cargo as the liners are not profitable running only passengers.
1895
Riverside railway station opens. It brings passengers from the main railway line right to Princes Landing Stage.
Following the dredging of the Pier Head area in the 1890s, and some extension and strengthening work, passengers no longer have to board ships anchored in the river via boats. Instead they can simply walk up a gangplank.
1910
Much of the South American and East Asian traffic has left Princes Dock and moved across the river. Transatlantic passenger traffic is based on the landing stage in the river. Princes Dock is the centre of the Irish trade
1950s
The number of passengers and boats falls and much of the huge length of the Princes Stage is not needed.
1967
As trade with Ireland moves into containers, Princes Dock becomes a passenger terminal for Belfast. A ro-ro terminal is built at the south end of the dock.
1975-76
The Princes landing stage is very rusty. It is replaced by a smaller stage, serving only the Mersey Ferries and the Isle of Man boats. It sinks on its opening weekend (an inspection port had been left open) but is successfully raised and there are no further problems.
1981
The passenger service from Princes Dock ends. This is due to the fall in passenger services and a new terminal at Victoria Dock. Princes Dock closes and is partly filled.
not a bad mooch to be honest and after a disappointing day of trying potential sites and all the usual bollocks of "no m8 its due to health and safety thats why" this made up for it...i think anyway
so in full view of people walking along the front and some workies by the road side we just went for it ...it was funny people who was walking past would stop and point we had a bit of an audience at one point which i thought was funny
but then it all changed ...after we had done the stage and id had a poke around the underneath balancing on various wooden beams i emerged and we had a look at the remaining section but then the coast guard turned up with his chums and shouted "do you know this is a dangerous structure"......erm yes "well please leave and get off now where your standing really isnt safe theres nothing supporting the underneath"
so with that we done one it was right next to the new landing stage so it was no surprise they came over theyd' prob seen me underneath at some point i guess.....anyway enjoy
explored with kevsy21
ohh the state of that floor!!!
now this looks interesting another level down (3 infact) only 1 was really do-able
closer inspection needed (some sort of tunnel bricked up)
stairs...
looking back from the end
what remains of the end
looking down from where i jumped down originally
another small little tunnel
the view across to the remaining landing stage
and on closer inspection you can see how bad the other half was
an original wheeled gangplank
then our friends turned up "please get off now for your own safety"
not after one last shot
Princes Dock History
Active Period - 1810 to 1981
1810
Building begins on the Princes Dock site. The project runs late because of:
* the Napoleonic War (money and staff shortages)
* mismanagement
* fiddling
1821
Princes Dock opens. It is the first dock to be surrounded by walls to prevent theft. It has been built to take sailing vessels running to North America
1840s
Already Princes Dock is losing the North American trade after only twenty years. It moves into the high value, low bulk East Asia and South American trades, e.g. coffee and spices.
1876
Georges and Princes landing stages are joined together and extended. The whole structure becomes known as Princes Stage. At the time it is the longest floating structure in the world. Princes Landing Stage inhabits the northern end of the stage (the Pier Head is at the south end). It is visited by Cunard, White Star and Canadian Pacific Lines.
Most of the great passenger liners spend some time in the North Docks before collecting passengers at the stage. There they load and unload cargo as the liners are not profitable running only passengers.
1895
Riverside railway station opens. It brings passengers from the main railway line right to Princes Landing Stage.
Following the dredging of the Pier Head area in the 1890s, and some extension and strengthening work, passengers no longer have to board ships anchored in the river via boats. Instead they can simply walk up a gangplank.
1910
Much of the South American and East Asian traffic has left Princes Dock and moved across the river. Transatlantic passenger traffic is based on the landing stage in the river. Princes Dock is the centre of the Irish trade
1950s
The number of passengers and boats falls and much of the huge length of the Princes Stage is not needed.
1967
As trade with Ireland moves into containers, Princes Dock becomes a passenger terminal for Belfast. A ro-ro terminal is built at the south end of the dock.
1975-76
The Princes landing stage is very rusty. It is replaced by a smaller stage, serving only the Mersey Ferries and the Isle of Man boats. It sinks on its opening weekend (an inspection port had been left open) but is successfully raised and there are no further problems.
1981
The passenger service from Princes Dock ends. This is due to the fall in passenger services and a new terminal at Victoria Dock. Princes Dock closes and is partly filled.
not a bad mooch to be honest and after a disappointing day of trying potential sites and all the usual bollocks of "no m8 its due to health and safety thats why" this made up for it...i think anyway
so in full view of people walking along the front and some workies by the road side we just went for it ...it was funny people who was walking past would stop and point we had a bit of an audience at one point which i thought was funny
but then it all changed ...after we had done the stage and id had a poke around the underneath balancing on various wooden beams i emerged and we had a look at the remaining section but then the coast guard turned up with his chums and shouted "do you know this is a dangerous structure"......erm yes "well please leave and get off now where your standing really isnt safe theres nothing supporting the underneath"
so with that we done one it was right next to the new landing stage so it was no surprise they came over theyd' prob seen me underneath at some point i guess.....anyway enjoy
explored with kevsy21
ohh the state of that floor!!!
now this looks interesting another level down (3 infact) only 1 was really do-able
closer inspection needed (some sort of tunnel bricked up)
stairs...
looking back from the end
what remains of the end
looking down from where i jumped down originally
another small little tunnel
the view across to the remaining landing stage
and on closer inspection you can see how bad the other half was
an original wheeled gangplank
then our friends turned up "please get off now for your own safety"
not after one last shot
Dodgy walkway over water, my nightmare lol. This looks great, but dodgy. loving all the underside pics, that walkway looked a little safer than the topside part. Love the little hut on there, and the gangway. 
