Upton–by-Chester - an Introduction

Our earliest information about Upton tells us that this was a lightly wooded part of Cheshire, which later became very open country, chiefly heath land. This was covered with gorse and bracken and dotted with many pools and pits due to the great diversity of the soil between clay and sand.

To-day the part of our village known as Upton Heath is smaller in extent than in former times. In many cases the pools and pits have been filled in and built over, though there are many small ones dotted around the fields.

Upton is built on a high ridge of land which forms the water-shed between the rivers Dee and Gowy. The top of Brooke Avenue is reputed to be level with the roof of the nave of Chester
Cathedral.

It is a healthy spot, which may account for the fact that during the latter half of the nineteenth century six nonagenarians were living here; and to-day we have several old Inhabitants in their eighties, and two over ninety. Certainly it is refreshing to return from shopping in Chester on a hot day to the cooler air of Upton

Civil Parish Boundaries

In the tithe map of 1839 these were shown thus:-
To the North and North West lie the tcwnships of Caughall and Moston.

To the South West the Bache
To the South lies Newton
To the East Picton

Three of our boundary stones have been found in the neighbourhood of Upton Grange Farm, and mark the boundaries between Upton and Picton, and Upton and Hoole respectively. One was found in a ditch and another in a field, while the third stands on the Long Lane near the Brookhirst Sports Grounds. This one marks the Upton and Hoole boundaries and is dated 1751.

In connection with the boundaries, we read in the old vestry minutes book "That it is desirable to have the township boundary walked over by the Officers of the township." We have no record of this walk being accomplished.

The ecclesiastical parish boundaries will be dealt with under the Church History section.

Name

Upton is derived from high tun of upland. It compares with nearby Hoole which came from the Saxon Hole or lowland. In the Domesday Survey it is called Opetone and Optone. Other spellings are Uppetuna, Ufton and Hupton.