Wallasey Pool
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Wallasey Pool is a natural inlet of water and separates the towns of Wallasey and Birkenhead on the Wirral, Merseyside, England. It was converted into the sophisticated Birkenhead Dock system from the 1820's onwards, with the main portion of the pool becoming known as the Great Float. The head of Wallasey Pool, in the district of Poulton, was converted to Bidston Docks in 1933, but was filled in during 2004.
[edit] Bridges across Wallasey Pool
Four notable road bridges cross Wallasey Pool, in particular the Penny Bridge in Poulton which crosses the head of the pool to connect road users with Birkenhead's former industrial area. The bridge took its name from the original fare of one penny to cross in one direction. The bridge sported distinctive steel girders for many years but there were removed during the bridge's refurbishment in 2000. Though its lifting mechanism survives, it is no longer used owing to the filling in of the portion of the pool next to the bridge.
Duke Street bridge has green girders and joins the southern end of Poulton with the north end of Birkenhead.
Two further bridges at Tower Road also cross the Wallasey Pool and continue to boast distinctive red girders. Known as the Four Bridges, as originally four movable bridges existed along Tower Road: two between the Great Float and Alfred Dock, one between the Great Float and Wallasey Dock and one between the Great Float and Egerton Dock. These bridges connect the Seacombe district of Wallasey with Birkenhead's north end.
