Liverpool is perhaps best known as the hometown of the Beatles, but that’s only a small part of the city’s heritage. It has been a major shipping center since the 1700s and by the early 19th century 40% of the world’s trade passed through its ports. The entire downtown Liverpool waterfront is a series of interconnected enclosed docks once used for commercial traffic and now used mainly for pleasure craft and smaller commercial boats. The dockside facilities have been converted to restaurants, museums and other attractions with impressive 19th-century and modern building all around.

After our trip to Manchester, we spent two days exploring Liverpool’s beautiful waterfront. And you can’t go to Liverpool without visiting to the Beatles Story, a museum devoted to the band’s Liverpool roots and rise to fame.

Below are trip highlights from November 2nd and 3rd in Liverpool, UK. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps

11/2/2017

Wake Park Position: -2 59.30, 53 23.52 The entire downtown Liverpool waterfront is a series of interconnected enclosed docks once used for commercial traffic. The original docks and locks are too small for most commercial shipping vessels and now are used mainly for pleasure craft and smaller commercial boats. One of the docks has been converted into the Liverpool Wake Park where an overhead cable pulls wakeboarders back and forth as though pulled by a high-horsepower runabout, but at a fraction of the cost.

Zebu Position: -2 59.49, 53 24.11 The tall ship Zebu moored alongside Canning Dock, looking west. The ship was built in Sweden in 1938 and worked as a trading vessel until the 1960s. Repairs were recently completed after the ship sunk in 2015 while moored here.

Pump House Position: -2 59.50, 53 24.10 We had lunch with an excellent view to Canning Dock at the Pumphouse pub, a restored 1870s pump house.

Downtown Liverpool Position: -2 59.54, 53 24.11 Looking east across Canning dock to downtown Liverpool. The city is a beautiful mix of the old restored docks and structures, with more modern buildings all around.

Albert Dock Position: -2 59.65, 53 24.07 Looking south across Albert Dock, ringed with restaurants. Many pleasure craft are moored here, and the location is pretty appealing.

Low Tide Position: -2 59.71, 53 24.11 This is why Liverpool built the enclosed docks behind locks: at low tide the Mersey River is just exposed mud for a long way out.

View South Position: -2 59.70, 53 24.12 The view south across Canning Dock. The Pump House where we had lunch is on the left, Albert Dock is behind the buildings at center, and the Freijwheel Wheel Of Liverpool extends above the buildings on the right.

Three Graces Position: -2 59.80, 53 24.22 Liverpool has been a major shipping center since the 1700s and by the early 19th century 40% of the world’s trade passed through its ports. The wealthy city built some impressive buildings in the early 1900s, including these known as the “Three Graces”. From left to to right are Royal Liver, the Cunard and the Port of Liverpool buildings. Atop the Royal Liver Building are two 5.5m copper statues of the Liver Bird, the city’s symbol.

Museum of Liverpool Position: -2 59.79, 53 24.26 The striking modern Museum of Liverpool building near the Three Graces. The waterway underneath is the Liverpool Canal Link connecting the Liverpool docks with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Ice Cream Position: -2 59.81, 53 24.26 Jennifer hasn’t had a soft cone with a flake and reaspberry sauce from a British ice cream truck since visiting relatives in Yorkshire over thirty years ago.

Fab Four Position: -2 59.79, 53 24.27 Liverpool is perhaps most famous as the home of the Beatles. This larger-than-life statue near the Three Graces is one of many tributes to the Fab Four.

Liverpool Canal Link Position: -2 59.75, 53 24.22 Looking north along the Liverpool Canal Link with the Museum of Liverpool on the left and the Three Graces on the right. The link was completed in 2008 to relink the downtown docks with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The original connection had been filled in for the construction of the Three Graces

Titanic Position: -2 59.43, 53 24.01 One of the canal boats moored at Salthouse Dock is a scaled-down model of the Titanic, tastefully finished off to look like it’s sinking.

Wall Position: -2 59.31, 53 24.00 This wall alongside Salthouse Dock was built in 1980 with stone from the 1855 warehouse that once stood here.

Freijwheel Wheel Position: -2 59.44, 53 23.91 Looking up to the Freijwheel Wheel Of Liverpool adjacent to Dukes Dock. The transportable wheel is 196ft (60 m) tall and weighs 365 tonnes.

St Kilda Position: -2 59.47, 53 23.90 A display along the Liverpool waterfront of aerial photograpsh from throughout the UK included this one of dramatic St. Kilda off the Outer Hebrides. We recognized it immediately from our visit there a couple of months ago.

Brunswick Lock Position: -2 59.04, 53 23.21 Looking from Brunswick Lock at low tide to what is left of the Mersey River. It’s hard to believe Dirona was in that channel three nights ago.

Liverpool Marina Position: -2 59.05, 53 23.21 The view across Brunswick Lock to Liverpool Marina with downtown Liverpool visible in the distance. Dirona‘s blue deck lights are visible through the lock gate. It’s a really beautiful setting. We’d moved again this monrning, to a third berth, after the marina decided Bluepoint Marine Services needed more space in the channel in front of their lift area.

11/3/2017

Current Position: -2 59.34, 53 23.51 This buoy is nearly being pulled under in the strong Mersey River current.

The Beatles Story Position: -2 59.51, 53 23.95 You can’t go to Liverpool without visiting to the Beatles Story, a museum devoted to the band’s Liverpool roots and rise to fame. This is a replica of the famous Cavern Club in downtown Liverpool, the Beatles home club where they played 275 times.

OPP Position: -2 59.51, 53 23.95 As longtime Toronto, Ontario residents, this OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) patch on Paul McCartney’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” jacket caught our attention. Apparently the real Sgt. Pepper was an OPP officer who ran the Beatles’ security detail during a 1966 visit to Toronto and one of Pepper’s officers gave the band the patch that appears on McCartney’s sleeve.

Miller & Carter Position: -2 59.47, 53 23.98 After the Beatles Story, we stopped in for a drink in the bar at Miller & Carter overlooking Albert Dock.

Albert Dock Position: -2 59.47, 53 23.98 Looking north across Albert Dock at dusk. The Liverpool waterfront sure is beautiful.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise. On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps.