"Built by the Manchester Ship Canal Company, Salford Docks was the larger of two sections which made up Manchester Docks; the other being Pomona Docks to the east. They were opened in 1894 by Queen Victoria and spanned 120 acres (49 ha) of water and 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land. At their height the Manchester Docks were the third busiest port in Britain, but due to containerisation and the limit placed on vessel size by the Manchester Ship Canal, the docks declined swiftly during the 1970s. The docks closed in 1982, resulting in the loss of 3000 jobs." Souce Wikipedia