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,[3] 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.[4] 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.[5][6]
Housing in the district is mostly in densely packed terraced houses, though there are exceptions.[8]Doric Park is tucked away behind rows of terraced houses. Liverpool Shopping Park runs parallel to Old Swan. The retail park is currently being improved and phase 2 opened in autumn 2020.
Health
There are numerous primary care services located within Old Swan, including a NHS walk-in health centre, along with an urgent care unit, a GP practice on Derby Lane, and several pharmacies and opticians.[9]
There are also several dentists practices within the ward.[10]
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 Swanward, though parts also lie in Tuebrook and Stoneycroft ward. The elected councillors for Old Swan ward are Councillor William Shortall (Labour Party), Councillor Joanne Calvert (Independent) and Councillor Rona Heron (Liverpool Community Independents).[11]
Old Swan library is managed by Liverpool City Council. It was built with Victorian black and white features, originally opening in 1913 as a reading room, and has its own garden, the entrance to which is on the A57.
Economy
Costa Coffee
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 and an Aldi facing it across St. Oswald Street. Further down Prescot Road, away from the city centre, is a Sainsbury's supermarket in neighbouring Knotty Ash ward. 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.
The Old Swan Tramway was one of the first street tramways in Britain, opening in 1861.
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 Dixons Broadgreen Academy, a secondary school with an adjoining sixth form.[14] There are also three nurseries in the area.
Places of worship
The Parish Church is St Anne's on Prescot Road. In September 2022, Lady Dodd endowed stained glass windows at St Anne's Church, in memory of her late husband, Sir Ken Dodd.[15]
Notable residents
Former Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson was born in Old Swan.[16]
Judith Berry (nee. Hawkins), mother of Academy Award-winning American actress Halle Berry, was born in Old Swan.
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,[17] was a member of Old Swan Boys' Club (1956–57) and attended St Margaret's Anfield School.
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 85 councillors, for the city's 64 wards. Following a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission the number of wards increased to 64 at the elections on Thursday 4th May 2023. Three wards elect 3 councillors each, fifteen wards elect 2 councillors each and the remaining 46 wards each elect a single councillor, which brought down the total number of councillors to 85.
Tuebrook is an area North-East of Liverpool, England. At the 2001 census the population was 14,490.
Knotty Ash is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England, and a Liverpool City Council Ward. Historically in Lancashire, the population at the 2001 Census was 13,200, increasing to 13,312 at the 2011 Census. Knotty Ash is well known as the home of comedian Ken Dodd, who often mentioned it in his act.
Stoneycroft is a district in the east of Liverpool, England and part of the Tuebrook and Stoneycroft and Old Swan wards.
Elections to Liverpool City Council were held on 3 May 2007. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrat party kept overall control of the council. Overall turnout was 27.5%
Old Swan ward was an electoral division of Liverpool City Council, centred on the Old Swan district of Liverpool.
Croxteth ward is an electoral division of Liverpool City Council. Ward in the Liverpool West Derby Parliamentary constituency.
Anfield ward is an electoral district of Liverpool City Council centred on the Anfield district of Liverpool. The ward is within in the Liverpool Walton Parliamentary constituency.
Broadgreen is an eastern suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. On the edge of the city, it is bordered by Old Swan to the north-west, Knotty Ash to the north-east, Childwall to the south and, further east, Bowring Park. Until 2004, it was a Liverpool City Council ward.
Elections to Liverpool City Council were held on 7 May 1953.
The 2016 Liverpool City Council election took place on 5 May 2016 to elect members of Liverpool City Council in England. This was on the same day as the election for the Elected Mayor of Liverpool and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside.
The 2018 Liverpool City Council election took place on 3 May 2018 to elect members of Liverpool City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.
The 2019 Liverpool City Council election took place on 2 May 2019 to elect members of Liverpool City Council in England. This was the same day as other local elections.
The 2023 Liverpool City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Liverpool City Council. Following a Boundary Review by The Local Government Boundary Commission for England, the size of the council was reduced from 90 to 85 seats with a change from three-member seats, elected in thirds, three years out of every four, following the British Government instigated Best Value Inspection Report which led to the appointment by the government of Commissioners and the subsequent boundary review for Council Wards in Liverpool which the government initiated with the proviso that the number of councillors be reduced and the predominant number of wards be reduced to single members with all-up elections every four years. The election also marked the end of Liverpool's directly-elected mayoralty. After the election the council reverted to having a leader of the council chosen from amongst the councillors instead. Labour retained control of the council and their group leader Liam Robinson became leader of the council after the election.
Old Swan East ward is an electoral district of Liverpool City Council within the Liverpool Wavertree constituency.
Stoneycroft ward is an electoral district of Liverpool City Council within the Liverpool West Derby, and Liverpool Wavertree constituencies.
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