Herculaneum steps "dockers' steps" officially named the Herculaneum Steps, were built to provide workers access to the busy Herculaneum Dock, which operated from 1866 to 1972. The steps were tramped daily by hundreds of dock workers commuting from the Dingle and Toxteth areas, which were situated at a higher elevation along the clifftop on Grafton Street. History Construction and Purpose: The steps were constructed around the same time the Herculaneum Dock opened in 1866, allowing direct passage