Boughton, Cheshire

infobox UK place
country= England
latitude= 53.1878
longitude= -2.8844
official_name= Boughton
map_type= Cheshire
population=
os_grid_reference= SJ392643
shire_district= Chester
shire_county= Cheshire
region= North West England
post_town= CHESTER
postcode_district= CH3
postcode_area= CH
dial_code= 01244
constituency_westminster= City of Chester

Boughton is a village and the principal settlement of the civil parish of Great Boughton in Chester District, to the east of Chester, in Cheshire, England. Boughton 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.

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 Castle.Fact|date=December 2007

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 the means of a lead pipeline. Part of the aqueduct was found during the construction of the Grosvenor Park Lodge.

The most surprising find to come from Boughton was a large Roman Altar standing almost four feet high. It was discovered by workmen in 1821 toppled over almost in situ in a field now lost called 'the daniels' near the present day water works. The altar was damaged by pickaxe before it was discovered what it was. The altar marked the position of the well head for the springs for the Roman Fortress. And is dedicated to the 'Nymphs and fountains of the Twentieth Legion (Legio XX Valeria Victrix)'. The inscription is on both sides and it was designed to be seen from two viewpoints. 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 following 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."

Another landmark in Boughton is St. Paul's Church. The church was redesigned by the famous Victorian arcitect 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 24th 1551. Also John Plessington 19th July 1679. Canonised saint 25th October 1970.

Another Boughton landmark is 1-5 Christleton Road between the A41 and the A51. This building 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.

In more recent times, Boughton was home to several industrial structures, some of which can still be seen today. The 'Lead Shot Tower', where molten lead was once dropped hundreds of metres to form perfect spheres for use as bullets in guns, is today a landmark of the area skyline. The Shropshire Union Canal, an important means of transportation in the industrial age also 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 Batsman Steve (Seamus) Ogilby who has represented Ireland.

Over the years there have been many famous cricketers who have started their careers at the Club, among them being Curtly Ambrose, Winston Benjamin and Courtney Walsh.

Famous Residents

Thomas Hughes author of 'Tom Brown's Schooldays' lived for a time in a large house overlooking the River near Barrel Well Hill.Fact|date=August 2008

John Douglas The famous Victorian architect.Fact|date=August 2008

External links

* [http://www.bwpics.co.uk/boughton.html A Brief History of Boughton]
* [http://www.boughtonhall.co.uk Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club]
* [http://www.chestertourist.com/boughton.htm A History of Boughton]