It lies on the waterfront next to the River Mersey between the Albert Dock to the south and the Pier Head to the north.

[1] Mann Island was formed in the 18th and 19th centuries as part of the Liverpool dock complex.

Later, in the 20th century, it was the site for the James Street station of the Liverpool Overhead Railway.

Mann Island has been the subject of a number of regeneration schemes, such as the ill-starred Fourth Grace project, which was under consideration from 2002 to 2006.

Secondly, the Liverpool Canal Link, which cuts through Mann Island via a lock system into the Canning Dock.