THE PATHS AND ROADS

The chief roads in Upton have been there as long as people have lived there, and existed formerly as narrow roads or trackways, e.g. Flag Lane, Sandpit Lane, Smoke Street, Heath and Mill Road(s) and the Liverpool Road, the old Turnpike road.

On 11th September, 1750, it was announced that "All the freeholders in the township of Upton are desired to meet on the 21st September 1750 by 10 in the morning at 'Thomas Ithil's at the Beach Pool to settle each one's share of land on Upton Common and to fix on proper roads to be made over the same."      (From Cheshire Sheaf).

The footpaths, which may go back to very early times, are seven in number. A road which has developed from a cart-track is Demage Lane. As a rule the paths lead to and from farms, and in many cases they cross the boundaries into other parishes. Some are very short and others form favourite walks on Summer evenings. Here are brief descriptions of two of them:-

(a) One of the best known and probably oldest path starts in Heath Road by the side of our Village Hall, and runs across the fields to Newton Cottage, Plas Newton Lane. This is a pleasant  walk and passes by a small pond, shortly after which it crosses the boundary, just before reaching the road.

(b) Another footpath begins at the corner of Demage Lane, opposite the Vicarage, and goes through the fields known locally as the Round Hills
where, according to old tales, the water is supposed to run uphill. It emerges finally on to the Liverpool Road in Moston.

 

Roads and trackways were looked after by the Overseer of the Highways, later known as the Wayward.

(a) Mill Lane and Heath Road. These ran from the Bache past the inn at Upton Cross to the village. Nowadays a continuation of it, Caughall Road, leads out of the parish to Caughall. (61 )

(b) Another road led from the old Chester-Birkenhead turnpike road along Sandpit Lane into Smoke Street, joining Mill Lane and Heath Road opposite the Wheatsheaf Hotel. This is now Upton Lane.

(c) The present Long Lane, which is now a wide bypass road taking transport from London to Liverpool, used to be a narrow lane where the village folk went blackberrying. The by-pass road was opened about 1931 and leads from the Warrington Road to the Liverpool Road.

Other roads have been made when the land was developed for building purposes.   (62)