A new 120-seat restaurant will open in the former Victorian pumphouse at an historic Liverpool waterfront site this winter following a £1.5m transformation and the first images of how it will look are revealed. Tony McDonough reports
Owners of the historic Stanley Dock in Liverpool reveal the first images of a new restaurant that will open at the location this winter.
Dock owner Harcourt Developments has invested £1.5m in restoring the Grade II-listed Victorian pumphouse and this will become a new 120-seat pizzeria called 1848 Stanley Dock, a nod to the opening date of Stanley Dock by Jesse Hartley.
Operated by Titanic Hotel Liverpool and owned by Harcourt, the 4,400 sq ft venue will bring a new dining destination to the city’s iconic waterfront. It will combine the character of the original Victorian pumphouse with contemporary design.
Taking centre stage is a glass-walled extension with 18.5 ft-tall ceilings overlooking the dock, with glazed doors opening to a waterfront dining terrace.
Connecting the glazed extension with the original brick boiler room will be a 23ft-high atrium, creating a central space for dining and a cocktail bar.
A new galleried mezzanine will add further seating, with feature brick walls on the lower level and a more intimate private dining area and lounge space above. It will be close to Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Brian Connor, Titanic Hotel Liverpool general manager, says “1848 is an exciting addition to Stanley Dock and provides an opportunity to give another one of the site’s historic buildings a new lease of life.
“The venue has such a distinctive character, and as with Titanic Hotel, retaining its original features while creating a contemporary space has been a key priority throughout the redevelopment.”
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Stanley Dock officially opened in 1848, with the pumphouse added shortly after in 1855. It housed the hydraulic pumping systems that powered the dock gates, capstans, cargo cranes and tobacco presses across both the North and South Warehouses for decades.
Stanley Dock’s closed in 1985 and Harcourt Development bought the site in 2010. 1848 Stanley Dock is the latest phase of the ongoing £250m regeneration plan for the area and is due to open to the public later this year.