Ship Spotter Steve
  • Home
  • Bulk Carriers
  • Cement Carriers
  • Container Ships
  • Crude Oil Tankers
  • Cruise Ships
  • Dredgers
  • Ferries
  • Fishing Vessels
  • General Cargo Ships
  • Military & Law Enforcement
  • Off Shore Supply/Safety/Support
  • Pilot Vessels
  • Research Ships
  • Sailing Ships
  • Tankers
  • Tugs
  • Vehicle Carriers
  • Misc
  • Funnels
  • Work Boats
  • Pleasure Boats & Yachts
  • Tenders & Launches
  • Prints, Postcards & Paintings
  • Buildings, Monuments & Places
  • Yearly Statistics
  • Ship List
  • Links
  • Blog
  • Blog Index
Contact me

POmONA DOCKS - 1894

16/3/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Pomona Docks photographed from the Metrolink tram on a grey overcast 11 February 2015, these docks formed a key part of the Port of Manchester from 1894 until it closed in 1982. The docks were a destination for both coastal and ocean-bound ships and were built on the site of the former Pomona Gardens and Zoo, due to their size many larger vessels had to use the main docks on the other side of  Trafford Road bridge located just to the South of where I took the photograph.

Plans were originally drawn up for five docks in this area although only four were ever completed, the site of the proposed No. 5 dock was to the left of the photograph opposite the dock entrances, work on this dock was largely completed, with the dock being excavated and the retaining walls built  before work was abandoned and the dock filled in again.

No. 1 dock became the regular discharging point for the Coopers sand boats, another of the early users of the docks was Fisher Renwick who launched a  regular service to London in 1892. Another visitor from the early 1950's until the 1970's were the Guinness ships carrying Guinness in barrels and steel containers ready for bottling, these ships were frequent visitors returning empty to Dublin, this operation ceased when Guinness moved their operations to Runcorn.

During the 1960's in attempt to increase trade a heavy-lift berth was set up in No. 3 dock, together with Ro-Ro facilities for ships designed for transporting   heavy loads.

A connection to the Bridgewater canal was built at Hulme Lock, up-river from the docks and this was extremely busy for many years with a great deal of cargo being discharged from the bigger vessels into barges for onward transmission via smaller canals.  

It is hard to believe that this was once a hive of activity with ships of all shapes and sizes being loaded and unloaded, today no buildings, cranes or anything else for that matter survives.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My interest in ships and the sea started back in 2006 when I worked for a couple of years  on the banks of the River Mersey. I have since been on a couple of cruises around the Med and in the Far East and have started to take more interest in researching and photographing some of the ships and other vessels seen on my travels.

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.