John H Luxton Photography

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Otterspool Park

The name ‘Otterspool’ is derived from the Old English name Otirpul or Oterpol. Otir was the Old English for otter and the location was so named because of the otters which inhabited the tidal creek and freshwater pools formed where a stream joined the River Mersey. The stream feeding Otterspool was known as Osklesbrok but was later renamed the River Jordan by a community of puritans who leased smallholdings around the stream.

Otterspool Park is in the valley of the River Jordan (formerly the Osklesbrok) which is culverted from Sefton Park boating lake under Aigburth Vale to re-emerge the left of Otterspool Park gates.

Before modifications were made to the flow of the stream, ‘Osklesbrok’ was a vigorous watercourse with good quality fishing and contained a number of cascades along its course as it flowed through woodland before joining the Mersey.

In 1779 a Snuff Mill was erected at Otterspool along with workmen’s cottages and by 1812 Otterspool House had been constructed by John Moss, who turned the snuff mill into an oil mill and built a harbour wall along the river edge to allow barges direct access to the factory. A bridge carrying the railway over the valley was constructed in 1864.

Upstream of the railway bridge a was dam constructed to create a lake. The dam was removed at some stage in the 19th Century, but a by-pass culvert can still be seen on the valley side.

Liverpool Corporation bought the Otterspool Estate in 1925 and Otterspool House which was in a poor state of repair was demolished in 1931. A café, now derelict, was subsequently built on the site.
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  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Looking into Otterspool Park from near Otterspool Promenade.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterpool Park skate board track. On the right can be seen the dam which basically closed off this tidal inlet and one time harbour from the River Mersey.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park Cafe which was constructed on the site of Otterspool House. Unfortunately it has been closed for many years and attracts the attention of vandals and graffitti artists it is just crying out to be cared for once again.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park Cafe which was constructed on the site of Otterspool House. Unfortunately it has been closed for many years and attracts the attention of vandals and graffitti artists it is just crying out to be cared for once again.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    The railway bridge across the Jordan Valley which is now Otterspool park constructed in 1861 to carry the Liverpool - Hunts Cross - Manchester line of the Cheshire Lines Committee across the valley of the River Jordan.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    View towards the railway bridge looking towards Otterspool Promenade.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    This culvert was constructed as an an overflow by pass to a dam which crossed the valley at this point to create a lake.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    This culvert was constructed as an an overflow by pass to a dam which crossed the valley at this point to create a lake.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park Gates - these formed the entrance to the carriage drive leading to Otterspool House demolished in 1931. The containers which can be seen were being used by contractors engaged in work on the River Jordan Culvert.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park Gates - these formed the entrance to the carriage drive leading to Otterspool House demolished in 1931. The containers which can be seen were being used by contractors engaged in work on the River Jordan Culvert.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park Gates - these formed the entrance to the carriage drive leading to Otterspool House demolished in 1931. The containers which can be seen were being used by contractors engaged in work on the River Jordan Culvert.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    The River Jordan was eventually culverted under Otterspool Park. Work was underway to repair the culvert in spring 2020.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    The mouth of the culvert near the gates of Otterspool Park which conveys the water of the River Jordan under Aigburth Vale from Sefton Park boating lake.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Road leads from near Otterspool Park Gates to Otterspool Station which closed in 1951.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    The road to Otterspool Station which is stil used as a private house. Otterspool Park is on the left.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    View towards the river

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    View along the carriage drive with a road roller belongtin to the contractors working on the River Jordan culvert heading to the work site.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    As I recall as a child this open area not far from the Aigburth Road gate once had a small pond.

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    View towards the railway bridge. The sandstone steps rise up to a woodland walk but they also head towards Otterspool Station - was this once a private entrance to the estate from the station to the occupants of Otterspool House?

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    The sandstone steps rise up to a woodland walk but they also head towards Otterspool Station - was this once a private entrance to the estate from the station to the occupants of Otterspool House?

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Fallen tree on the woodland walk

  • Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    Otterspool Park, Aigburth, Liverpool - May 06, 2020

    The stump of the old dam can be seen to the right. The dam culvert tunnel commences here and exits the other side.

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