The United Kingdom is
home to some of the busiest ports in Europe and
indeed in the Western world. Playing host to
hundreds of thousands of tourists from home and
abroad as well as millions of tons of cargo
every year, these ports act as arteries
supplying the country with its life blood.
Dover
There are very few
individuals alive today who do not know of
Dover's existence. The famous white cliffs made
famous by the forces' sweetheart Vera Lynn cast
their shadow over one of the largest cargo
handling ports in the country as well as the
link between Dover and Calais via the Channel
Tunnel.
Also one of Britain's largest and busiest ferry
ports, Dover has recently celebrated four
hundred years as a ferry port and boasts an
impressive ferry departure every twenty minutes
Port of London
For many London is
not just the capital of England but it is also
home to the Monarchy at Buckingham Palace and
the Tower of London as well as the Houses of
Parliament. But London also plays host to an
impressive port through which many sea-fairing
vessels journey each day.
Carrying cargoes of
oil, textiles and commercial goods these vessels
make their way through from the coast at
Southend, up past Gravesend and into the City of
London itself.
In addition to
these vessels there are an impressive fleet of
naval vessels making regular journeys along the
Thames and out to see attracting many thousands
of visitors and holiday makers every year.
Liverpool
Liverpool is not
just home to the iconic pop group The Beatles
who took the 1960's and early 1970's by storm.
It has a vibrant culture and in 2008 is European
City of Culture. In addition to this Liverpool
has a port that has long been one of the most
important ports to serve the North Atlantic
corridor.
At present Liverpool port receives the most
cargo to the United Kingdom from the United
States and Canada and recently plans have been
unveiled for a £90 million expansion program
which would see Liverpool port's container
traffic double.
Southampton
Famous around the
globe for being the port from which the
ill-fated Titanic set off on its maiden voyage
in 1912, Southampton is still one of the United
Kingdom's most important ports even today.
Steeped in history
Southampton offers Ro-Ro (Roll On, Roll Off)
ferry services, cargo terminals that can cope
with a huge demand and also storage for oil and
alcohol.
It also is
responsible for the accepting of vast quantities
of fresh and perishable goods such as tomatoes
and peppers.
Even now in the
twenty-first century with the emphasis on speed
of delivery the ports of the United Kingdom are
among the busiest in the world all year round.
These ports offer superb facilities, years of
experience and gateways to the United Kingdom
and beyond for suppliers of goods from all over
the globe.
Indeed it is
fairly safe to say that the ports of the United
Kingdom are among its most important and
treasured assets, steeped in hundreds of years
of history and set to continue being part of a
maritime history that has seen Britain venture
out into the world and make its mark on many
continents. |
