History & Heritage
Millions of bricks, thousands of panes of glass and hundreds of steel girders constitute what was once part of the life blood of the thriving Port of Liverpool – the warehouses.
Rum and tobacco imported from exotic locations were stored here in great brick buildings, the size the world had never seen before. The docks at the mouth of the Mersey River, including Stanley Dock, pioneered modern dock technology, transport and port management.
Meanwhile Liverpool hummed with emigrants from all over Europe preparing to depart for a life in the New World. It quickly became the Second City of the Empire and trading through its docks and canals was at the core of this success.
Stanley Dock sits at the heart of these historic docks. Designed by the renowned architect Jesse Hartley of Albert Dock fame, Stanley Dock comprises three architecturally and historically important buildings - the North, South & Tobacco Warehouses - all of which are Grade II and II* Listed.
The principal building is the iconic Tobacco Warehouse. Standing 125 feet (38 m) high, the 14-storey building was at the time of its construction in 1901 reported to be the world's largest brick building with a floor-area of 150,000 sq.m. (1,614,586 sq.ft.) or 37 acres (15 ha). Its construction absorbed 27 million bricks, 30,000 panes of glass and 8,000 tons of steel. It could accommodate 70,000 hogsheads of tobacco, each weighing 453 kg (1,000 lbs) some of which were stored for up to 15 years before being bought or collected by cigarette manufacturers.
The dock is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a key heritage asset for Liverpool city.
