Leeds-Liverpool Canal, Liverpool Exchange Station

The Leeds-Liverpool Canal was built in sections, with the section going into Liverpool being the first to be started, in 1770. Though it was not the first to open, this section reached Newburgh in 1774, and Wigan in 1781. It would be 1816 before the canal at Wigan connected to the Lancaster Canal, and hence the rest of the Leeds-Liverpool.

Its terminus in Liverpool was originally Old Hall Street Basin, where Old Hall Street becomes Great Howard Street, and meet Leeds Street. I wonder if Leeds Street took it name from the canal.

In 1846 a short link was built connecting the canal to Stanley Dock, giving access to the rest of the docks - at least until Georges Dock was filled in, at which point access to the south docks was only possible via the river, until a linking canal was built in 2009.

A major railway terminus was built not far from here, Liverpool Exchange, in 1850, and the railway was obliged to raise the tracks to clear the canal. Such was the power of the railway companies that in 1883 an Act of Parliament was passed that would truncate the canal, and allow a re-build of the station with the tracks running at ground level.

This left the canal terminating just north of Leeds Street, but east of the railway, at least until the 1960s, when it was cut back further to Eldonian Way, possibly to make way for a housing estate.

I took a walk from Sandhills station on the MerseyRail Northern Line, heading into the centre of Liverpool. 

A short walk took me to Sandhills Bridge, as this plaque proudly told me.


An attractive bridge from canal level.


The next bridge, with a mile post telling me I am 126 miles from Leeds.


And another bridge, together with some geese.


Another bridge and more geese. I saw a lot of geese along here.


This is the point where the branch to Stanley Dock departs. I guess there was a footbridge here at one time to allow horses pulling barges to continue. Nowadays you can cross at any of the locks.


I headed down the Stanley Flight, a set of locks to get down to dock level.


One of the locks is under the railway. This was the line out of Exchange station, and now the Northern Line. 


The canal disappears under Great Howard Street, and into Stanley Lock. It looks like there was never a tow path, making me wonder how barges got into the dock, but I guess docks had some way of moving boats around.


There is a huge building to the south of Stanley dock - Tobacco Warehouse - and some of the dock railway is still visible. At one time the whole area was a tangle of railways.


Beyond Tobacco Warehouse is Regent Road. Looking northeast, you can see where Everton FC are building their new stadium. And a horse and cart apparently delivery barrels of beer....


Regents Road crosses the entrance to Stanley Dock on a "Bascule" lifting bridge. In the centre of the image below you can see curved sections of infrastructure - the bridge rocks back on these.


The bridge features in Captain America. Shortly after the eponymous hero is super-sized, he chases a villain in a yellow taxi, and thy end up here.

This is looking at the next dock - Salisbury Dock - and Victoria Tower, from the Bascule bridge.


Back to the main canal, and one last bridge.


And the end of the canal, not much further on.


A short step west, and the remains of the approach to Exchange station are apparent. There used to be four tracks here. The Northern Line can be seen beyond.


A bit further south, you can see where Chisenhale Street crossed the canal - and where buildings are now where it used to go.


This arch is probably the final marker of where the canal was. I think this was part of a warehouse on the side of the canal.

Across a busy junction, you can see the approach to the station, at this point somewhat elevated, and now a car park.


And the front of the station. The clock extending out from the wall is by the main entrance - this was a big station.

The main entrance.


It is kind of sad that it closed, but realistically Liverpool is probably better served by having one mainline station and MerseyRail providing local services.




















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