Preston Docks & Marina, Riversway, Preston, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom.
Preston Docklands, Riversway, Preston, Lancashire, is a popular place for business, leisure, entertainment and is Europe's largest single dock basin. The new £ million Ribble Link is the first canal to be built for 100 years and connects the dock to the Lancaster Canal and the national waterways network. Although it was never a major port, Preston pioneered roll-on-roll- off ferry transport and in 1948 the dock was the first to introduce roll-on-roll-off traffic. By the 1960's the port held the record for handling the largest amount of container and ferry traffic which reached a peak in 1968, when as many as 500 dockers were employed. As the size of ships increased, fewer could use the dock due to the size of the basin and the access through the River Ribble Channel from the coast at Lytham. At the same time, the import of traditional cargoes decreased and the cost of dredging the silt, from the channel on the River Ribble, increased. The post-war advantage of being the pioneer of roll-on-roll-off operations was lost to other ports who were not inland, who were not dependant on the same tidal access restrictions and were able to offer a faster turn round time for the In 1979 the decision to redevelop the port was made and it is an active marina with berths for a large variety of leisure boats including yachts, cruisers, barges and powerboats. Around the dock new properties have been built to house shops, retail outlets, restaurants, pubs, offices and entertainment facilities including a cinema. The old dock warehouses have been converted to prestige apartments with new housing also available. Annually the Riversway Festival is held offering a variety of family entertainment including an International Food Festival, Freestyle Jet Skiing, Dragon boat races, competitions, paint balling, wall climbing and fireworks. It is therfore a valuable asset to the people of the City of Preston an d the surrounding areas.
Size: 4960px × 3508px
Location: Preston Docks & Marina, Riversway, Preston, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © Paul Deaville / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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