Number 4 Dry Dock is a Grade II* listed building in the Wirral local planning authority area, England. First listed on 13 January 1987. Dry dock.

Number 4 Dry Dock

WRENN ID
half-string-pearl
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
Wirral
Constituency
Birkenhead MP: Alison McGovern (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
13 January 1987
Type
Dry dock
Address
Number 4 Dry Dock, Laird's Old Yard
OS grid reference
SJ 329 885
Coordinates
53.38937, -3.00964
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

Number 4 Dry Dock is a dry dock built around 1857, located in Birkenhead. It is constructed from red sandstone and features wrought-iron gates. The dock measures 400 feet long and is cut out of natural rock, displaying a stepped profile reinforced by sandstone piers. The walls of the dock are topped with cobbles and bollards, and it retains its original iron dock gates. This dry dock is historically significant as it was the site where several famous ships were built, including the Confederate Navy raider Alabama, which was launched in 1862 and sunk off Cherbourg in 1864. The structure is recognized for its important historical associations, which contribute to its starred status.

Local climate

Number 4 Dry Dock sits in a wetter-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 1,080 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 86% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 75% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 19 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 81% of listed buildings. Of these, 9 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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