Morpeth Dock is a dock at Birkenhead, Wirral Peninsula, England. The dock is situated between the River Mersey and Egerton Dock.

History

Built between 1844 and 1847, it is named after Lord Morpeth, the 7th Earl of Carlisle, who was the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests. By 1872, the dock had been significantly remodelled with the branch dock and a canal basin for the GWR's goods station.

The dockside sheds of the former Morpeth Branch Dock were restored around 1992,

A One O'Clock Gun is still fired at Edinburgh Castle.

Bomb discovery

Birkenhead docks, as well as the surrounding area, were heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. In May 2006, a 60-year-old, 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb was discovered by the Royal Navy's Northern Diving Group and disposed of by the minesweeper HMS Atherstone. It was found embedded in mud in the river, near to the former entrance to Morpeth Dock and may have been disturbed during dredging work at the Twelve Quays ferry terminal. The bomb was later detonated in Liverpool Bay.

See also

  • Listed buildings in Birkenhead

References

Sources

  • Entry on Historic England