Old Swan

Old Swan
Old Swan
Old Swan shown within Merseyside
Population 16,461 (2011)[1]
OS grid reference SJ390915
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LIVERPOOL
Postcode district L13
Dialling code 0151
Police Merseyside
Fire Merseyside
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK Parliament

Old Swan is an inner-city area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England, bordered by Knotty Ash, Stoneycroft, Broadgreen, Fairfield and Wavertree. At the 2011 Census, the population was 16,461.[2]

Description

Old Swan is centred on the road junction between Prescot Road, running east to west, Derby Lane (from the north) St Oswald Street (from the south) and Broadgreen Road (from the south-east). It is named after a public house called the Three Swans, which served the pack-horse route along Prescot Lane (now Prescot Road) in the 18th century. The name was derived from the coat of arms of local landowners, the Walton family.[3] The inn stood at the corner of Prescot Lane and Pettycoat Lane (now Broadgreen Road). The junction later acquired two more pubs, the Swan Vaults (now called the Old Swan) and the Cygnet (now closed), while the original pub was replaced by another, the Red House (now closed); this has become a branch of Costa Coffee.[4]

Geography

The A57 road passes through Kensington and Fairfield before running through Old Swan and then through Knotty Ash, towards Prescot and on to St Helens.[5]

Housing in the district is mostly in densely packed terraced houses, though there are exceptions. Doric Park is tucked away behind rows of terraced houses. The Edge Lane retail park runs parallel to Old Swan. The retail park is currently being improved and phase 1 will open late 2017.

Health

In the area there is an NHS walk-in health centre, along with an emergency surgery, and a GP practice on Derby Lane.

There are also three dental surgeries on Derby Lane that deal with a mixture of NHS and private patients.

Old Swan also has an emergency ambulance station which is located on St. Oswalds Street.

Government

Old Swan's representation on Liverpool City Council is largely through the Old Swan ward, though parts also lie in Tuebrook and Stoneycroft ward. The elected councillors for Old Swan ward are Councillor Peter Brennan (Labour Party), Councillor Joanne Calvert (Labour Party) and former Lord Mayor Gary Millar (Labour Party).[6]

Old Swan is represented by Luciana Berger MP and is in the parliamentary constituency of Liverpool Wavertree; prior to the constituency's re-creation the area was part of Liverpool Broadgreen.

Council Services

Old Swan has a library that is managed by Liverpool City Council. The library was built with Victorian black and white features, and now has its own designated garden area, the entrance to which is located on the A57 road.

Old Swan also has its own One Stop Shop which is located on Derby Lane.

Economy

Old Swan has a varied collection of clothes and food shops situated along Prescot Road serving local residents. In addition, the area is also served by a large Tesco supermarket this has recently been joined by an Aldi facing it across St. Oswald Street. Further down Prescot Road, away from the city centre is a Sainsbury's supermarket. During 2011, Asda took over the Netto premises, and it is now an Asda supermarket. In July 2015, work began refurbishing the Red House pub and a Costa Coffee store was opened later the same month.

Transport

Fairly regular bus routes 7, 8, 9 and 10/10A/10B connect Old Swan to Liverpool City Centre and in the opposite direction to Huyton, Prescot, St Helens and Warrington.[7] Old Swan has other bus links - routes 60, 61, 62, 68/68A, 81/81A and 102, which do not serve Liverpool City Centre but provide important links to other areas of Liverpool including Aigburth, Anfield, Bootle, Childwall, Clubmoor, Croxteth, Fazakerley, Norris Green, Orrell Park, Speke, Walton, Wavertree, West Derby, Woolton and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

There is a bus depot in Old Swan on Green Lane. It is owned by Arriva North West.

The M62 motorway starts at the end of Broadgreen Road out of the city, and is the east gateway into the city via Edge Lane Drive.

The nearest railway stations to Old Swan are Broad Green railway station and Wavertree Technology Park railway station. Both are operated by Northern and served by local stopping trains to and from Liverpool Lime Street. The Merseytram System (Line 2) was due to run through Old Swan but this has now been cancelled after funding from the British Government was denied.

In 2015, a CityBike station was installed.

Education

There are six schools in Old Swan, including Broadgreen Primary School, St Anne's Stanley C of E Primary, St Oswald's Catholic Primary, Corinthian Avenue Primary, St Cuthbert Catholic Primary and Broadgreen International School (formerly known as Broadgreen High School, Broadgreen Community Comprehensive and Highfield), which is a specialised sixth form and technology college. There are also three nurseries in the area. Old Swan offers a recently refurbished[8] library,[9] originally opened in 1913 as a reading room.

Notable residents

  • Former Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson was born in Old Swan.[10]
  • Alan Caldwell, known as Rory Storm, rock 'n' roll singer of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was born in Old Swan in 1939,[11] was a member of Old Swan Boys' Club (1956–57) and attended St Margaret's Anfield School.
  • Dennis Evans, former captain of Arsenal F.C., was born in Old Swan.
  • Tommy Scott, lead singer with 1990s band Space lived in Old Swan at the height of their fame.
  • The parents of Hollywood actor Mike Myers[12]
  • Jazz Saxophonist Ken Stubbs, leader of First House, was born in Old Swan
  • Merseyside Producer and actor Richard Cottier lived here

References

  1. ↑ "City of Liverpool ward population 2011". Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "City of Liverpool ward population 2011". Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  3. ↑ DM Whale : Lost Villages of Liverpool (1985) ISBN 0 901314 24 2
  4. ↑ Whale p40
  5. ↑ Google Maps https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=53.413652,-2.911784&hl=en&num=1&t=w&z=19
  6. ↑ http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/key-statistics-and-data/ward-profiles/ward-map/
  7. ↑ http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/travelling-around/timetables/AllTimetables/10%20Liverpool%20-%20St%20Helens%20%28from%2001%20March%202013%29.pdf
  8. ↑ Old Swan turns over a new leaf, Liverpool City Council, 3 March 2006, retrieved 12 January 2009
  9. ↑ Old Swan Community Library, Liverpool City Council, retrieved 12 January 2009
  10. ↑ "Jacqui Abbott - Ron Atkinson". Liverpool Echo. Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited.
  11. ↑ "Number One In Heaven". Penguin.co.uk. Penguin Books Ltd. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  12. ↑ "Top 10 Most Famous Liverpool Supporters-Mike Myers". Football Fancast. Football Fancast.
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