Rich History Behind Exciting New Future At Hill Dickinson Stadium

The 'Dock Lines', our stunning new fan feature at Hill Dickinson Stadium, will celebrate a historical legacy which is almost 170 years old.

Supporters will have the opportunity to become part of Everton’s modern history by featuring on a personalised granite stone, set within the lovingly-restored railway tracks on the Budweiser Fan Plaza.

The Dock Lines will see thousands of engraved stones laid within approximately 400 square metres of track closest to Regent Road Wall.

Those railway lines have been in existence since 1857.

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Bramley-Moore Dock was built to serve the largest steamships of the period, but this function was short-lived once larger docks to the north were constructed.

Instead, the dock became a coaling station, both bunkering vessels and loading exports.

A high-level railway was constructed on the dockside in 1857, fed by a spur from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway line across the dock road, to enable the wagons to tip their loads of coal into the bunkers of steam ships.

A new bridge, which could be raised or lowered hydraulically to allow the passage of large loads on the road beneath, carried the line over the main road.

Only rarely in the Victorian era was any effort made to make a vertical lift bridge look anything but purely functional. The Bramley-Moore bridge was an exception, with its working mechanism largely hidden within masonry towers. Possibly built by William Fairbairn and Sons, the effect was imposing.

Arguably, a person would have to travel to Paris to find an example with a touch of artistic flair, where the Rue de Crimée Lifting Bridge lives on. Both the Liverpool and Paris bridges boasted large wheels and hidden hydraulic rams.

The Liverpool bridge only needed to lifted for the passage of abnormal loads along the road.

However, it became an obstacle during the construction of the Overhead Railway, resulting in the Overhead Railway track having to drop to ground level, before rising again on the other side.

As the dependence on coal for powering vessels diminished and the export trade also collapsed, the line closed in 1966 and all coal operations had ceased by 1988.

Today, the high-level track has gone, as has the road bridge, although the abutment can still be seen above the dock wall.

The brick-built hydraulic accumulator tower, which provided power to the dock gates and lifting equipment, is still in situ, as is the dock road perimeter wall, both of which are Grade II listed.

And, of course, the railway lines still remain – soon to include thousands of fans' stones.

Each personalised granite stone will tell its own story, commemorating the lives and passions of supporters and their loved ones. The scheme is being delivered by Intaglio Creative, the team behind the hugely popular Everton Way installation at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Stones are available to purchase in a range of sizes and designs, starting from just £49, making them a perfect keepsake or Christmas gift. Supporters can also purchase a replica stone in an Everton-branded display box (from £49), and a personalised A4 certificate of authentication (£14.99), both ideal mementos ahead of the installation’s completion in Summer 2026.

If you have any questions regarding The Dock Lines, please refer to our FAQs section. If you still can’t find the information you need, please email customerservices@evertondocklines.com

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