River Jordan, Liverpool facts for kids

The River Jordan, also known as Little Jordan or Otterspool Brook, is a small river that flows into the River Mersey. For most of its lower part, it now flows through underground pipes, a process called culverting. This part of the river runs through Otterspool Park in Aigburth, Liverpool.

Where the River Jordan Begins

The River Jordan was once made up of two smaller streams: the Upper Brook and the Lower Brook.

• The Upper Brook started near the playing fields in Wavertree. It flowed past a pub that was named after it, the Brook House.
• The Lower Brook began in Wavertree Botanic Gardens. It started from two ponds near Edge Lane.

Both of these streams met up in what is now Sefton Park. From there, the water flowed over natural waterfalls into the Otterspool. The Otterspool was a small inlet or creek on the shore of the River Mersey.

Old Names and History

Records from the 13th century, found in a book called the Chartulary of Whalley Abbey, mention this watercourse. It was called "Oskelesbrok" back then. These old records say it marked the edge of an area called Toxteth and flowed into "Oterpol." The name "Oskelesbrok" and other similar names like "Haskelesbroc" might come from an old Viking name, Askell.

How the River Got Its Name

The river likely got the name "River Jordan" around the 1600s. At that time, Toxteth Park was no longer a hunting park. Instead, it was divided into farms. The first people who rented these farms were Puritans. Puritans were a group of Christians who had very strict religious beliefs.

People think the name "Jordan" came from these Puritan farmers. The River Jordan is a famous river in the Middle East, important in the Bible. There was also a nearby farm called "Jericho" and a rock called "David's Throne," which are also names from the Bible. This suggests the farmers named places after important religious sites.

For a long time, Otterspool was a very important place for fishing in the Mersey. Even into the 1700s, it was known as the best place to catch salmon in the area!

The River Today

The path of the River Jordan changed a lot in the 1800s. This happened when new houses and parks were built. Much of the river was turned into beautiful water features in these new parks.

For example:

• The Upper Brook was blocked by a dam in Greenbank Park to create a lake.
• Both the Upper and Lower Brooks were directed into the Boating Lake in Sefton Park.

Today, you can still see parts of the river near the gates of Otterspool Park. However, from that point onwards, the river flows underground in pipes. Even so, you can still see many features of its original valley in the park. The area where the river meets the Mersey is now part of the Otterspool Promenade. The river's water is now piped directly into the Mersey there.