Gladstone Dock

Gladstone Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Bootle. The dock is connected to Seaforth Dock to the north and what remains of Hornby Dock to the south. Part of Liverpool Freeport, Gladstone Dock is operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.HistoryThe dock is named after Robert Gladstone, a merchant from Liverpool and second cousin of Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Designed in the first decade of the twentieth century, construction was eventually completed in 1927 and consisted of 3mi of quays and extensive warehouse space.The graving dock was completed in 1913, before the rest of the dock became operational. At 1050ft long and 120ft wide it was designed to take the largest trans-Atlantic steamers. The graving dock has since been converted into a wet dock (Gladstone Number Three Branch Dock).Gladstone Dock lock entrance is one of the two remaining operational river entrances in the northern dock system. Measuring 1070ft long,130ft wide and 42ft deep; was wider, longer and deeper than the Panama Canal locks. The Panama Canal and Gladstone locks could accommodate a maximum size of container ship of 4,500-5,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs). The lock provided maritime access to the container terminal of Royal Seaforth Dock, which opened in 1972.