THE LARGER HOUSES

The larger houses, excluding Upton and Bache Halls, we have grouped as far as possible according to age:-

The Manor House, Flag Lane, formerly The Beeches, may be the oldest existing house in Upton. In 1839 it belonged to Mr. John Ithell, and has remained in the possession of that family. Mr. R. Ithell moved there in 1923 after leaving Upton Hall. Indications of its age were the old "rush" ceilings taken down by Mr. Ithell, and the stone foundations. The house was modernised and from the front does not give the appearance of an old house.

Rose Cottage, formerly Rose Bank, a neat, demure looking house, stands at the corner of Demage and Upton Lanes, facing Church Lane end. It was built about two hundred years ago. Of particular interest are its windows with their ornamental tracery at the top.

Oak Cottage, formerly part of Upton Cross property, is a charming little cottage set in complete privacy behind a holly hedge between the churchyard and the garden of Upton Cross. It belonged to John Axe in 1839, and was probably built at the same period as the former inn. At one time it possessed only one storey and had a thatched roof. It is reputed to have been the toll cottage from which tolls were levied on loads of sand coming from the old sandpit in Upton Lane. About ninety years ago it was the abode of the village cobbler. It seems probable that the second storey was added when alterations were made to Upton Cross in the mid-nineteenth century.

The Acres. This house may have been built on the site of a very much older house. We know that there was property in 1587-8 (see History section). Nothing much is known about the present farm building. The outbuildings look older in style than the house itself. There was a house or farm here in 1859. This was the home of the Dean family for many years until the early part of the century. During the 1914-18 war it was used as a Remount School. Nowadays we admire the lovely display of daffodils in its orchard bordering on Acres Lane. (56)

The remainder of the big houses were built, with one exception, in the nineteenth century.

The Oaks, off Upton, formerly Sandpit, Lane. This house, built by Mr. Charles Potts, was known formerly as Oak Bank and Upton Bank. It certainly existed in 1859. In late Regency style, it stands on a slight rise and commands a pleasant vista of lawns and trees. It was the Summer residence of an old Cheshire family, one of whose descendants, Mrs. Reginald Potts, now living , came there as a bride in 1893. Mr. Moss, a cotton spinner, a later occupant, is another example of a Liverpool businessman choosing this healthy and delightful village as a residence. Mr. and Mrs. Crompton succeeded him, the latter becoming the first president of the Women's Institute. The property was later acquired by the Upton-by-Chester Golf Club (see Clubs section).

Upton Grange. As the word "Grange" Implies, this house was once a farm. The middle part of Upton Grange was built first, about 1830; and the two wings were added later at different times. There is a secret room, a very small one, between the dining room and study, whose door is opened by treading on a knob in the dining room floor. The dining room and study are panelled in three different kinds of wood; this panelling was made by the Upton villagers. The tower was only built to hide a water tank. The lodge, behind which are stables and garages, has been converted into two cottages. For a number of years the family of our Member of Parliament for Chester, Mr. Basil Nield, lived at Upton Grange. Prior to this it was the home of Sir H. Robertson. During the war years it was the headquarters of the National Fire Service for this area. Since February, 1947, it has been the headquarters of the Forestry Commission for the North-West of England.

Up ton Lodge, in Newton Lane, by the crossroads, was erected on land known as Cross croft or Elgreaves. On the cottage and former stables in the yard is a date - 1848, and the house appears to have been built about the same time. One of the first occupants was a Mr. Tilston, a cheese factor. In 1927 the War Department purchased the land from Mr. T. A. Beckett who In turn bought it in 1910 from Mr. B. I. Kemp. It has been the official residence of the Major General, the (57) Administration Western Command, now the Chief of Staff, Western Command. Until recently the occupant was Major General G. H. Elliot, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C.

Upton Lawn, a large and spacious brick residence, was built, according to Ormerod, in 1850s by T. Helps, whose initials are entwined on the front of the lodge. In 1859 there was a curved walled garden standing back from Smoke Street. To-day most of the walls and the garden can be seen in the grounds of Upton Lawn, amid delightful surroundings which are enhanced by the many lovely trees and the rhododendrons in flower in Spring. The property was sold first to the Logan family, generous benefactors to the church, and next to Mr. J. Meadows Frost, who later became Sir John Frost, Mayor of Chester. The latter and his wife are well remembered in the village. They, too, were very generous and threw open their grounds for festive occasions in the village. Many notable visitors came here, one of whom was Earl Haig. It was he who planted an acorn brought from Verdun, which is now a sturdy young oak tree. In recent years the house was turned into flats and now many can share in the beauty of the lawns and gardens.

Oakfield, off Caughall Road. This many-gabled mansion standing in extensive grounds, now the nucleus of the North of England Zoological Society, was built by Mr. Ben Chaffers Roberts. He was a tea merchant from Liverpool who began building the lodge on its present site in 1883, the previous lodge being situated on what is now the peafowl enclosure, close to the exit by the garden's main entrance. Mr. B. C. Roberts proved to be a benefactor to the village and interested in many of its activities. On its site was an older house, probably much smaller, with fountains and fishponds, as marked on the 1870 survey map. Originally this may have been a farm. During the First World War
Oakfield was used as a hospital for non-commissioned officers and men. Starting with only £5, it was dependant on donations of money and service residents of Upton and of Chester. It was said that the only paid member of the staff was the cook. Nurses were V.A.Ds. At the end of the war the effects were sold; the proceeds of over £3,000 were handed to the Red Cross. Oakfield was acquired by Mr. Mottershead for a Zoological Gardens in 1930 (see Zoo). (58)

The Vicarage, Demage Lane, was really a "parish affair”. In March, 1889, it was proposed to build a vicarage for the Vicar, the Rev. W. Sparling, and in May the site was secured. The cost was defrayed by voluntary contributions of residents who were very generous, and by the Duke of Westminster who made up the deficiency required to complete the building. The foundation stone was laid by Emily Logan, Friday, 16th August, 1889, and in a year the work was finished. In July 1890, the Vicar took up his residence in this pleasant brick residence with its spacious lawns. This was an example of a vicarage built without any help from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. To-day
we look forward to the annual Vicarage Garden Party in July, when it seems as if the whole village invades the grounds.

Upton Heyes was built along the upper part of Flag Lane by Mr. G. H. Broadbent. In 1899 he bought land from Sir Philip H. B. Grey-Egerton, including fields called Hay Field and Near and Further Hay Field, and thereon built Upton Heyes. The next owner was a Rigby, of whom we hear in connection with Demage Farm. In 1923 Mr. Beresford-Jones bought the property and the family lived there until 1947, when it was taken over by the Cheshire County Council for use as Judge's Lodgings. A famous visitor there in November, 1950, was Lord Goddard, Chief Justice.

Government House in Newton Lane, near the Cross, was formerly known as Dorrincourt. It was purchased by the War Department in 1920 from Lieut. Colonel Gossage. In 1902 there was a sale of land in Newton Lane from Sir Philip H. B. Grey-Egerton to Mr. S. J. W. Clerk, clothier, on which he was to build a house, which was known either as Ravenscourt or Dorrincourt. It was built in the ornamental style of the late nineteenth century. During the Great War the Royal Air Force took over the house. Since November, 1920, it has been occupied by a long list of G.O.Cs., Western Command. In 1948 Lt. Gen. Sir Brian G. Horrocks, K.B.S., C.B., D.S.O., M.C., left Upton for the new Government House at Eccleston Hill Hall, and Government House, now known to the Army as Old Government House, was converted into three flats for officers. (59)

Other houses about which we have gathered very little information are Stanton House, formerly the home of the Dicksons, and Plas Newton, the former home of a well known resident, Mr. A. Tyrer. An earlier occupant of Plas Newton was the first churchwarden. Col. E. Evans-Lloyd, who was living there in 1843. (60)