This shows the whole of Toxteth Park as defined in the 1765 map of the Earl of Sefton, probably produced for the Enclosure Act.  

Most of the roads still follow their marked courses today and the map displays a remarkable accuracy.

Parliament Street
Smithdown Road
Greenbank Road, Penny Lane, Ibbotsons Lane
Lodge Lane
Ullet Road
Park Road/ Aigburth Road 

The Dingle brook or stream rose near the highest part of Toxteth.  This is the hill whose summit is found on High Park Street, just adjacent to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  At this point The Dingle would have been little more than a muddy patch in the fields, however on early maps there are several ponds to the northern side of Park Road and although those that I have examined do not have enough detail to see clearly there are indications that at least some of these were linked and therefore probably formed part of the drainage system here in the 18th century.

The stream eventually joined up and flowed more or less along the course of Park Road, on the north side of the road.  The contours show this quite clearly - to be accurate Park Road actually occupied part of the stream valley and in the lowest park of Park Road, towards the Ancient Chapel (past which it would have flowed), the valley can be seen still.  A present day view from Peel Street illustrates this.

The stream crossed Park Road more or less at the junction with Dingle Lane and flowed on through what are now the gates and grounds, of the Turner Nursing Home. The valley was visible (left) in the early 20th Century before tipping gradually infilled it.  The slight downward gradient present today and here seen on this matching shot, still betrays the earlier valley.

         
a few shots of a remnant of the valley, still present in allotments by Colebrooke Road.

The course of the stream continued through the Dingle estates, made famous by Cropper and Yates. This part was one of the most beautiful sections of the valley, indeed probably of toxteth itself and it was highly esteemed both by the Croppers, their many famous visitors and the public of Liverpool, who were allowed to visit on certain days and evenings.

The stream itself eventually entered the Mersey at the little bay called Knott's Hole (right), just behind Dingle Point. Knotts hole itself is a double valley and there is some contour evidence of yet another, independent stream which seems to have created the second bay. although seldom mentioned is detectable by contours and is actually present as late as 1885, showing on an excellent City Engineers map kindly sent to me by Richard Hawes of Lancashire Galleries.

The stream dried up a long time ago as 'improvements' were made to Park Road. Much of the course and drainage would have been turned into land drains and many many years ago Roscoe wrote poetry about  'The Nymph of the Dingle' which alluded to the drying up of the stream here.  It is said however that the graveyard of the Ancient Chapel, which would have been situated right on the banks of the Dingle, still floods badly during long periods of heavy rain.

Once the lease of the land was obtained by the city council, tipping started and the whole area was despoiled and ravaged. Today the stream has gone, the land is largely levelled and nothing of asthetic worth remains of this once beautiful landscape.