Monument record 1921 - The Cockpit

The 'Cockpit' lies on the north side of the junction of Church Lane & Heath Road & consists of a depression c.45m diameter planted with tress & paved at the center. It was formerly situated in the front garden of Upton Cross house, but is now separated from the house by a fence & is open to the public. The house, apparently of the late 18th century was built on land called Sandhole Croft. It may have been an 18th century sand-pit which was subsequently used as a cockpit. Cockfighting took place there c.1790. In 1839 the house was called the Victoria Hotel. The hotel & gardens appear regularly in commercial directories from 1850 to 1864. The trees and paving in the cockpit, give the impression that this area formed part of the tea gardens (1)+(2).

Desk based assessment prepared in advance of CWAC proposals to upgrade "The Cockpit" in order to re-evaluate the site and shed further light on its past history. The assessment, while uncovering new evidence in respect of the history of the site since 1735, has uncovered no evidence of a cockpit at Upton, other than the suggestion in the local WI scrapbook of 1951. the form and size of the sub-circular depression is not dissimilar to description of other cockpit sites, this description can equally apply to any feature having its origins in the extractive industries. The tithe map of 1839 records the site as part of "Sandhole Croft". This area was landscaped as pleasure gardens for the Victoria Hotel, (established in 1850,after the banning of Cock fighting by Acts of parliament between 1833 and 1845). In summary, the site is found to be a sunken garden lying within a sub circular depression likely to be the former sandhole that gave its name to sandhole croft, as recorded in 1839. Prior to the 1839 tithe record there is no evidence of the site being developed in any way.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW71 1976 (Index). SCH2487.

<2> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 6/65-66 Carrington P 1978 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

<3> Castlering Archaeology, 2014, Land Adjoining Upton Cross House known locally as "The Cockpit", Upton by Chester. Desk based assessment. June 2014 (Client Report). SCH7667.