One of Liverpool’s biggest secrets is the lost dock that lies beneath the Hilton Hotel.
Built in 1715, the Old Dock was one of the world’s first wet docks. The enclosed area allowed ships to remain stationary while workers unloaded freight and cargo.
The dock, which took six years to construct, was designed and spearheaded by Thomas Steers, a canal engineer and one of England's first civil engineers. Like many construction projects it ran way over budget.
READ MORE: Members of alleged crime ring who 'smuggled cocaine into prison' named
Estimated to cost £6,000, the figure ended up doubling to £12,000 - the equivalent of £2.5b in 2022. Workers and labourers, however, were paid just £20 a year - an annual pay packet of £2,300 in today's money.
Despite the huge costs, it helped Liverpool become a modern global city. Whatever the climate or time of year, ships could finally unload in a safe and stable environment.
The building became a vital source of income and helped direct enormous amounts of wealth into the city. This made Liverpool a more attractive place to live and work and the population increased tenfold in just a century. By 1800 9% of global trade passed through Liverpool.
The dock did have links to the Transatlantic slave trade, which oversaw the passage of slaves from Europe to America. This practice was stopped 20 years before the Old Dock was shut after the Foreign Slave Trade Act (1806) prohibited Britain's involvement in it.
By 1826, 111 years after it opened, the Old Dock had become a victim of its own success and closed down to make way for more modern docks, which were larger and could accommodate bigger ships.
As well as this, the Old Dock's fortunes were not helped by the fact that it had become a "massive toilet" and stunk of sewage, according to two tour guides.
Although it is nearly 200 years since the Old Dock was used its significance remains. Without it, it is unlikely Liverpool would be the global city it is today.
You can book to see the what is beneath the streets on the Old Dock Tour at Liverpool ONE here.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT:
