Preston Dock: Swing Bridge

#europeonbudget Preston Dock is a former maritime dock on the northern bank of the River Ribble, 2.5 km (1.6 mi) west of Preston, Lancashire, England. The Albert Edward Basin opened in 1892 and provided a port for shipping until its closure in 1981. Most of the historic buildings and facilities have since been demolished and the area is now mainly commercial and residential property, along with some light industry. Following the dock's closure, a public marina opened at the western end of the basin in 1987. The Albert Edward Basin is 3,000 feet (910 m) long by 600 feet (180 m) wide and covers an area of around 42 acres (17 ha), and provided over 1.8 km (1.1 mi) of quayside for loading and unloading vessels. At it opening in 1892 it was the largest single dock, inland dock, and enclosed dock in Europe. The main basin flows into a short canal approximately 200 metres (660 ft) long, at the end of which is a series of lock gates to control the level of water in the basin. The canal then flows into a tidal basin of around 15 acres in area, at the end of which is another lock gate before another short canal approximately 100 metres (330 ft) long which flows into the River Ribble. The water in the basin is maintained to a level within a 2-metre (6 ft 7 in) range, originally by staff of the Preston Corporation, and now by the Preston City Council, who operate the lock gates (and since 1985, the swing bridge) to permit the passage of craft to and from the river. The original railway system serving the Docks ran along the north side of the basin, effectively disrupting valuable development sites. To allow the redevelopment in the early 1980's a new line was therefore constructed along the bank of the Ribble, on the edge of the development. The alignment required a swing bridge crossing to the entrance channel, which was combined with the roadway to minimise costs and land-take. A new Control Building, sited adjacent to the Swing Bridge was also completed in 1985; the building is the operations centre for the Dock Railway and the lock gate/entrance system, and contains offices of the Docklands Manager.