Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request EAST FLOAT DOCK

ANY INFO ON THIS BUILDING? WHAT WAS IT USED FOR?
NEXT TO THE OLD FLOUR MILL WALLASEY DOCK ROAD!

PLZ can any one help with what this building is or was for it's on the dock road wallasey by the east float

has any 1 got any info on this building plz

Looks like it may be some sort of plant room or pumping station. The lifting beam proberbly for lifting in/out motors or pumps.
Just a guess from similar type buildings i've worked in

1954 map its down as the winch button? whats this mean?

that was making quick use of that map !

What about:

Imagine a dockside crane that moves about on a pair of rails parallel to a dock side (as here). The crane needs an electric power source, and therefore a building like this is put up on the dockside, to contain a big reel of power cable that unwinds, and rewinds as the crane moves up and down the dockside.

It therefore has an open doorway between the crane rails on the dockside (like this building - ie the lower door), and these buildings also have (as usual) an upper doorway, with a girder sticking out to enable them to winch plants, electric motors etc , in and out for maintenance.

These days, the crane power lead is often attched to the crane, rather than the dockside, so that teh cable does not scrape up and down the dockside.

Bullshi* - any takers ?

The previous post of mine may have been a red herring (but a good one). Looking at the Cheshire CC 1970 aerial photos:

The warehouse to the east (ie towards the lift bridge) appears to have overhung the dock quite a way, so it was only high enough for barges underneath the overhanging roof.

The warehouse to the west appears to have a covered conveyor belt coming from it's roof, to underneath the overhanging roof of the eastern warehouse.

This building may have been the bottom end of the conveyor.

yerr man good call!

Inbetween the front and back wharehouses was a dock, the entrance to the dock was between the west and east whatehouses. There was a dock gate (still visible) and this building was right beside the dock gate. Looks like it may have been connected - may have controlled the dock gates.

The conveyor between the buildings was high up, if I remember correctly - there are some pictures somewhere.

find the pic man would love to see?

The conveyor does cast an even shadow, so may have been horizontal looking at it.

I thought the area between the two warhouses looked a bit flat - if it was a dock - that explains it !

is the dock on the 1954 map ?

not that i can see!

As far as I can determine (and remember) the high level bridges, of which there were many, were walkways not conveyors.

However, there was a hydraulic winch system installed along the dock wall which was used to pull barges between mill and warehouse. The building could be related to this system (a pump house?) it appears to have windows on the dock side of the building which would allow them to see the barges being moved?

More on the mills later