Boughton, Cheshire
Encyclopedia
Boughton is a neighbourhood to the east of Chester
city centre, part of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
, England
. It is located atop the steep banks of the River Dee
as it turns the meadows bend for the last time around the 'Earls Eye' before flowing into Chester.
Most of Boughton forms part of an unparished area
which until 1974 comprised the county borough of Chester
. The adjoining areas of Boughton Heath and Vicars Cross lie within the separate civil parish of Great Boughton
, which is outside the boundaries of the city of Chester.
.
The Romans
were known to have used water flowing from a well in the area. The water was piped directly into the centre of the Roman fortress of Deva
(present day Chester). How long this waterway operated is unknown, but by medieval times it had been either restored or rebuilt, for the use of the Benedictine
Abbey of St Werburgh in Chester (later Chester Cathedral).
Water was conveyed to the fortress by a lead pipeline. Part of the aqueduct was found during the construction of the Grosvenor Park Lodge.
A major find from Boughton was a large Roman altar standing almost four feet high. It was discovered by workmen in 1821 toppled over in a field (now lost) called 'The Daniels' near the present day water works. The altar was damaged by a pickaxe before it was realised what it was. The altar marked the position of the wellhead for the springs for the Roman fortress. It is dedicated to the 'Nymphs and fountains of the Twentieth Legion (Legio XX Valeria Victrix)
'. The inscription is on both sides. The altar was purchased privately by the Duke of Westminster
and is now in the private grounds of Eaton Hall.
In medieval times the area was home to Spital Boughton, a community which grew around a Leper hospital founded there in the 12th century by Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester
. The word (ho)Spital gave Spital Boughton its name.
The hospital operated for over 500 years and today its location is marked by the old cemetery of St Giles.
The inscription is visible from the road:
St Giles Cemetery. Here stood the leper hospital and chapel of St Giles. Founded early in the 12th century and endowed by successive Norman earls of Chester they remained in constant use until 1643. When defensive measures during the siege of Chester necessitated the demolition of buildings outside the city walls. The cemetery remained to mark the site and in time the little village of Spital Boughton clustered around it. In 1644 the royalist defenders suffered great loss of life in a gallant sortie in Boughton and many of the fallen were buried here. It was also used for victims of the plagues which ravaged the city in the 16th and 17th centuries. Being extra parochial the site was granted to the corporation by Charles II in 1685. As a burial ground and through for a period in the charge of St Johns parish. It remains in their hands. When Protestant martyr George Marsh
was burned at the stake on gallows hill close by his ashes were collected by his friends and buried here. The last burial took place in 1854.
St. Paul's Church in Boughton was redesigned by the Victorian architect John Douglas
, who also lived in Boughton.
George Marsh, a preacher from Bolton was martyred in Boughton by being burned at the stake on the 24th April 1555. In 1898 Nessie Brown erected an obelisk as a memorial to him. Nessie Brown was a member of the influential Brown family of Chester, and lived in the area. The obelisk was moved to the current location after the road was widened. The inscription reads:
George Marsh born Dean Co. Lancaster. To the memory of George Marsh martyr
who was burned to death near this spot for the truth sake April 24 1551. Also John Plessington
19 July 1679. Canonised saint 25 October 1970.
1-5 Christleton Road (between the A41 and the A51 roads ) was designed for the Co-Operative society by the Cheshire architect John Douglas in 1900. A more elaborate building and a fountain were planned but not constructed.
The 'Lead Shot Tower
', where molten lead was once dropped over 40 metres to form perfect spheres for use in guns, is today a landmark. The Shropshire Union Canal
, a means of transportation in the industrial age, passes through Boughton.
Cricketers who have started their careers at the club include Curtly Ambrose
, Lawrie Peate, Winston Benjamin
, Courtney Walsh
and Ian "Chopper" Barlow.
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
city centre, part of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...
and the ceremonial county of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located atop the steep banks of the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
as it turns the meadows bend for the last time around the 'Earls Eye' before flowing into Chester.
Most of Boughton forms part of an unparished area
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
which until 1974 comprised the county borough of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. The adjoining areas of Boughton Heath and Vicars Cross lie within the separate civil parish of Great Boughton
Great Boughton
Great Boughton is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It includes the villages of Boughton Heath and Vicars Cross....
, which is outside the boundaries of the city of Chester.
History
The name 'Boughton' or 'bluestone' may have originated from the placement of a blue boundary stone (now lost) alongside the road similar to the Gloverstone which stood outside Chester CastleChester Castle
Chester Castle is in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It is sited at the southwest extremity of the area bounded by the city walls . The castle stands on an eminence overlooking the River Dee. In the castle complex are the remaining parts of the medieval castle together with the...
.
The Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
were known to have used water flowing from a well in the area. The water was piped directly into the centre of the Roman fortress of Deva
Deva Victrix
Deva Victrix, or simply Deva, was a legionary fortress and town in the Roman province of Britannia. The settlement evolved into Chester, the county town of Cheshire, England...
(present day Chester). How long this waterway operated is unknown, but by medieval times it had been either restored or rebuilt, for the use of the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Abbey of St Werburgh in Chester (later Chester Cathedral).
Water was conveyed to the fortress by a lead pipeline. Part of the aqueduct was found during the construction of the Grosvenor Park Lodge.
A major find from Boughton was a large Roman altar standing almost four feet high. It was discovered by workmen in 1821 toppled over in a field (now lost) called 'The Daniels' near the present day water works. The altar was damaged by a pickaxe before it was realised what it was. The altar marked the position of the wellhead for the springs for the Roman fortress. It is dedicated to the 'Nymphs and fountains of the Twentieth Legion (Legio XX Valeria Victrix)
Legio XX Valeria Victrix
Legio vigesima Valeria Victrix was a Roman legion, probably raised by Augustus some time after 31 BC. It served in Hispania, Illyricum, and Germania before participating in the invasion of Britannia in 43 AD, where it remained and was active until at least the beginning of the 4th century...
'. The inscription is on both sides. The altar was purchased privately by the Duke of Westminster
Duke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
and is now in the private grounds of Eaton Hall.
In medieval times the area was home to Spital Boughton, a community which grew around a Leper hospital founded there in the 12th century by Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester
Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester
Ranulf II was an Anglo-Norman potentate who inherited the honour of the palatine county of Chester upon the death of his father Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester...
. The word (ho)Spital gave Spital Boughton its name.
The hospital operated for over 500 years and today its location is marked by the old cemetery of St Giles.
The inscription is visible from the road:
St Giles Cemetery. Here stood the leper hospital and chapel of St Giles. Founded early in the 12th century and endowed by successive Norman earls of Chester they remained in constant use until 1643. When defensive measures during the siege of Chester necessitated the demolition of buildings outside the city walls. The cemetery remained to mark the site and in time the little village of Spital Boughton clustered around it. In 1644 the royalist defenders suffered great loss of life in a gallant sortie in Boughton and many of the fallen were buried here. It was also used for victims of the plagues which ravaged the city in the 16th and 17th centuries. Being extra parochial the site was granted to the corporation by Charles II in 1685. As a burial ground and through for a period in the charge of St Johns parish. It remains in their hands. When Protestant martyr George Marsh
George Marsh (martyr)
George Marsh was a Protestant Martyr who was born in the parish of Deane, near Bolton in 1515. He died in Boughton, Chester on 24 April 1555 as a result of the Marian Persecutions which were carried out against religious reformers, Protestants, and other dissenters for their beliefs during the...
was burned at the stake on gallows hill close by his ashes were collected by his friends and buried here. The last burial took place in 1854.
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
, who also lived in Boughton.
George Marsh, a preacher from Bolton was martyred in Boughton by being burned at the stake on the 24th April 1555. In 1898 Nessie Brown erected an obelisk as a memorial to him. Nessie Brown was a member of the influential Brown family of Chester, and lived in the area. The obelisk was moved to the current location after the road was widened. The inscription reads:
George Marsh born Dean Co. Lancaster. To the memory of George Marsh martyr
George Marsh (martyr)
George Marsh was a Protestant Martyr who was born in the parish of Deane, near Bolton in 1515. He died in Boughton, Chester on 24 April 1555 as a result of the Marian Persecutions which were carried out against religious reformers, Protestants, and other dissenters for their beliefs during the...
who was burned to death near this spot for the truth sake April 24 1551. Also John Plessington
John Plessington
St John Plessington , also known as John Plesington, William Scarisbrick and William Pleasington, is one of the Roman Catholic Forty Martyrs of England and Wales....
19 July 1679. Canonised saint 25 October 1970.
The 'Lead Shot Tower
Chester Shot Tower
Chester Shot Tower, also known as Boughton Shot Tower, is a grade-II*-listed shot tower located at in the Boughton district of Chester, England. The tower stands beside the Shropshire Union Canal and forms part of the disused Chester Leadworks. Built by Walkers, Parker & Co...
', where molten lead was once dropped over 40 metres to form perfect spheres for use in guns, is today a landmark. The Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal in England; the Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union system and lie partially in Wales....
, a means of transportation in the industrial age, passes through Boughton.
Sandy Lane
Sandy Lane (B5130) is a small road running off Christleton Road leading to Huntington and Sandy Lane Aqua Park.Cricket
Boughton is home to Chester Boughton Hall, a cricket ground where several teams play and compete in the Cheshire League and Cup. The first eleven is captained by wicket keeper and batsman Steve (Seamus) Ogilby who has represented Ireland.Cricketers who have started their careers at the club include Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose is a former West Indian cricketer. His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially in partnership with Courtney Walsh...
, Lawrie Peate, Winston Benjamin
Winston Benjamin
Winston Keithroy Matthew Benjamin is an Antiguan cricketer who played 21 Tests and 85 One Day Internationals for the West Indies. He made his Test debut against India at Delhi on the 1987–88 tour...
, Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
and Ian "Chopper" Barlow.
Notable residents
- John DouglasJohn Douglas (architect)John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
The famous Victorian architect. - Thomas HughesThomas HughesThomas Hughes was an English lawyer and author. He is most famous for his novel Tom Brown's Schooldays , a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. It had a lesser-known sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford .- Biography :Hughes was the second son of John Hughes, editor of...
author of 'Tom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's Schooldays is a novel by Thomas Hughes. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s; Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842...
' lived for a time in a large house overlooking the River near Barrel Well Hill. - Ian BlairIan BlairIan Warwick Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, QPM is a retired British Police officer who held the position of commissioner of police of the metropolis from 2005 to 2008 and was the highest ranking officer within the Metropolitan Police Service.On 2 October 2008 Blair announced that he would...
former Commissioner for Metropolitan Police, when he was Sir Ian Blair, now Lord Blair of Boughton, grew up in a house on Sandy Lane.