Salford Docks

'The Docks'
Source: John Rylands Library

click on images to enlarge

Manchester Liners

Salford City Reporter ca. 1976

Manchester Ship Canal

Salford Docks

Salford & Manchester Docks

Port Salford

Main Gate
Photo Credit: Paul Hartley

Main Gate and Dock Offices, Trafford Road
Source: Canal Archive: taken 1983

Main Gate and Dock Offices, Trafford Road (June 2018)

Rembering Frank Taylor, who was employed for most of his working life on the docks. He was a member of the Blue Union (National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers), so named because its union card was blue.  He was made redundant just before the docks closed in 1982.

Source: Port of Manchester Review 71

Last Days

"Statutory invitations under the terms of schedule 32 to the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, were today issued to the city of Salford and Trafford metropolitan district council, to prepare schemes with a view to designation as an enterprise zone of some 780 acres in Salford docks and Trafford Park."  (Hansard, volume 997, 20 January 1981).

12 August 1981 Salford Docks Enterprise Zone Designation Order 1981 comes into effect. The map indicates that the actual docks is not included, which still belonged to the Manchester Ship Canal Company.

1982 Manchester Ship Canal 'closes' the docks.

• Manchester Guardian 15 May 1982: 'closure is becoming inevitable', and severance pay offer to dockers expires 28 May. 
• Manchester Guardian 21 April 1982: 'Dock sell off to go ahead'.

1983 Salford City Council uses £1 million 'Derelict Land Grant' to purchase the docks from the Manchester Ship Canal Company. The area purchased was 37 hectares. 

Photographic Archive of the Manchester Ship Canal Company

See: Salford Docks Tour

Further Reading:

History of the Manchester Ship Canal, from its inception to its completion Volume 1 / Volume 2