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.
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.