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)