Upton-by-Chester is a civil parish and a large suburb on the outskirts of Chester, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It includes the villages of Upton and Upton Heath. History The name Upton is from the Old English upp, meaning up, higher or upon, and tūn, meaning a farmstead or settlement. Listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Optone and being in the possession of Earl Hugh of Chester, its entry reads: Including the hamlet of Upton Heath, Upton-by-Chester was formerly a township within the parishes of St. Mary on the Hill and St. Oswald, Broxton Hundred. Upton-by-Chester as we know it today started when the railway was built in the mid-1800s. Gentlemen's country houses were built and provided employment other than traditional rural jobs. Initially ribbon development but then housing estates were built as more people moved out of the overcrowded city. Following the post-World War II building boom there is now little development land left. A permanent military presence was established with the completion of Dale Barracks in 1938 at nearby Moston. Landmarks One building of particular interest is Upton Mill, a five storeyed brick windmill which is a Grade II listed building. Built circa 1775 this was a full working flour mill with outhouses, yard and orchard. The wind sails were removed in the early 1920s when electricity was installed. The mill closed in 1953 and remained uninhabited until 1979 when it was sold and converted as a private residence. Renovation was completed in 1988. Oakfield Manor and its stable block, now in the grounds of Chester Zoo, are both designated Grade II listed buildings. Estimated to be over two hundred years old, the last remaining communal water pump in Upton-by-Chester is on Heath Road. The pump was used up to the end of the nineteenth century, but in the early years of World War II was temporarily brought back into use. The well has since been covered over. Religion Upton has four churches; one Baptist, one United Reformed Church, one Catholic (St Columba's), and the Anglican Church of the Holy Ascension. Governance Upton-by-Chester is within the City of Chester parliamentary constituency. An electoral ward in the name of Upton exists, within the borough of Cheshire West and Chester. This unitary authority replaced both Chester City Council and Cheshire County Council on 1 April 2009. Upton-by-Chester