Old Swan is centred on the road junction between Prescot Road, running east to west, Derby Lane St Oswald Street and Broadgreen Road. It is named after a public house called the Three Swans, which served the pack-horse route along Prescot Lane in the 18th century. The name was derived from the coat of arms of local landowners, the Walton family. The inn stood at the corner of Prescot Lane and Pettycoat Lane. The junction later acquired two more pubs, the Swan Vaults and the Cygnet, while the original pub was replaced by another, the Red House ; this has become a branch of Costa Coffee.
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. 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. Liverpool Shopping Park runs parallel to Old Swan. The retail park is currently being improved and phase 2 will open in Autumn 2020.
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.
Old Swan library is managed by Liverpool City Council. It was built with Victorian black and white features, and has its own garden, the entrance to which is on the A57.
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.
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, which is a specialised sixth form and technology college. There are also three nurseries in the area. Old Swan offers a recently refurbished library, originally opened in 1913 as a reading room.
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, was a member of Old Swan Boys' Club 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.
