During the summer months a very popular local outing is a cruise on a Mersey Ferry southwards down the river to enter the Manchester Ship Canal, enjoying a City Guide describing the many canal side points of interest all the way to the Salford docks. What many of the tourists do not realise is that this event has only been possible since ocean going vessels ceased using the Canal.
However, cruises along the Mersey are not a new idea, they were available in the late Victorian period giving urban dwellers an opportunity to enjoy the sea breezes and into Liverpool Bay.
More recently in the early thirties Wallasey Ferries organised river cruises, one of which I was able to enjoy as a schoolboy aboard the white funnelled Royal Iris. This vessel along with its sister ship the Royal Daffodil was much respected by Merseysiders for taking part in the very daring exploit at Zeebrugge in WW1. There was a high casualty list; many awards for gallantry were given and the prefix Royal was granted to the ferries which had received considerable damage in the action
Our cruise left the Pier Head and proceeded past the South docks which served many of the less renowned shipping companies but nevertheless vital to our economy. The only exception was the Elder Dempster Company whose cargo/passenger vessel served West Africa.
Turning near Eastham which once had a regular ferry service, we soon passed on our left the remains of the New Ferry Terminal and the Rock Ferry floating stage and pier, services to which only ceased in 1939. Always of interest is the Cammell Lairds shipyard then just recovering from the 1930 depression. Just discernible on the slipway was the keel and some superstructure of the famous WW2 aircraft carrier Ark Royal, our first venture into a purpose built warship of that type. (Its unchecked launch into the river was something that I will always remember.)
Continuing northwards we passed the very busy Woodside terminal for the red funnelled Birkenhead Ferries and luggage boats, and before long the terminals of the white funnelled Wallasey Ferries at Seacombe, Egremont and New Brighton, all with floating stages.
Level with the New Brighton lighthouse we entered the main buoyed channel towards the Bar some twelve miles into Liverpool Bay, turning back on reaching the Crosby Light and entering the main river. Here on our left side was the first of the four mile line of docks, the Gladstone with the large dockside cranes and sheds. We were pleased to be able to recognise by their funnels vessels of the Cunard White Star line, the CPR and the Alfred Holt Blue Funnel Line. The following three miles of docks were all named after men with important business connections in the area. On account of the large dockside warehouses for much of the way only the coloured funnels of the ships could be seen. Of interest was the multi faced clock at the Salisbury entrance and the notable landmark, the three chimneys of the Clarence Dock Power station (the three sisters).
The final section was the Prince’s Landing Stage, the departure point for the large passenger liners. There was no sailing on our day, but there was the inevitable Isle of Man steamer preparing for the next sailing to Douglas. The adjacent George’s stage served the luggage boats with their open decks for the wheeled vehicles going to the Wirral, having reached the boats by means of the unique floating roadway. With the Tunnel only opening in 1934, wheeled vehicles were still using them, horse drawn carts still being carried until the late forties.
Finally after two hours aboard we were able to recover our land legs at the Pier Head. There we marvelled at the skill of the skippers in manoeuvring these vessels in very limited space, often I believe in very choppy waters.
Throughout this cruise one had to keep alert to see ships of many sizes and shapes entering and leaving the port, in addition to others at anchor awaiting the tide for entering a dock.
Stuart Black
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