Old Dock

The Old Dock, originally known as Thomas Steers’ dock, was the world’s first commercial wet dock. The 3 1⁄2 acres (1.4 ha) dock was built on the River Mersey in Liverpool, England, starting in 1710 and completed in 1716. A natural tidal pool off the river Mersey, which probably gave its name to Liverpool centuries earlier, was partially filled and locked in from the river with quay walls erected.nIn 1999 an office block on the site, Steers House, was demolished, and the resulting waste ground was used as an NCP car park until 2004, when the site was incorporated into the Paradise Project.nTours of the Old Dock are currently operated by National Museums Liverpool on a weekly basis.