First recorded by Ormerod (1819, III, 282). Originally located in a wall on the township boundary, the shaft was moved slightly during road widening in 1935 and is now in a hedge on the north side of B 5087 to the east of the junction with B 5392. In early antiquarian literature this shaft is sometimes labelled as 'Fallibroome' — and occasionally this designation has resulted in an assumption that there were two crosses involved (e.g. Thacker 1987, 290–1; Austin 1999, 81, 82).

John Langdill kindly draws my attention to a letter from 'An Antiquarian' in the Macclesfield Courier for 1858 (15 May) objecting to the (then) recent removal to Macclesfield Park of three landmarks: "I refer to the Mere-stones or boundary stones at Upton and Ridge ... I understand that the Upton Cross has been replaced". This statement suggests that the Upton stone was included in the original arrangements for transfer of local monuments to the Park, and this is supported by a 1914 record that 'the late Mr Foden, a Macclesfield antiquary, tried hard to get it removed and placed with the three others in the Park but without success' ((—) 1914, 265; see also Sutton Ridge Hall 1, p. 126). Finney (1871, 41), recording this temporary transfer, confirms that 'owing to some disagreement it was taken back to its original site, where it may be seen built in the wall'. It was in this wall setting that it was recorded by Earwaker (1877–80, II, 345) as 'near the Hall on the road from Macclesfield to Fallibrome'.

Fair; the lateral border mouldings have been lost on all sides and much of the north-west face has been cut back.

Round-shaft, type g/h. The lower part of the shaft is cylindrical (near-oval) in section and is capped by a single narrow horizontal moulding encircling the shaft. Above, on all faces, the shaft takes on a rectangular section with the border mouldings curving in to form a swag just above the horizontal moulding. No ornament is now visible on any side, though Renaud recorded a raised cross on one face and Sidebottom recognised the badly weathered remains of an unidentifiable plait (Renaud 1876, fig. facing 71; Sidebottom 1994, 262).

Round-shaft, combining shapes g and h (see Chapter V, p. 33). Characteristic of Cheshire examples of this type of shaft, it is not associated with any ecclesiastical structure; in its first recorded position it was placed on a township boundary alongside a major route. Like Adlington 1 and 2, and Heaton, it is not sited on the high ground of the eastern Cheshire Peak District though it does fall within the large parish of Prestbury where many of these round-shafts are located. If it was originally undecorated then, with its single encircling moulding, it can best paralleled among this group by Adlington 1 (Ill. 1).

Tenth or eleventh century

Ormerod 1819, III, 282; (—) 1858a; Finney 1871, 41; Ormerod 1875–82, III, 704; Renaud 1876, 73, fig. facing 71; Earwaker 1877–80, II, 345; Browne 1887b, 150; Jackson 1889, 35; Allen 1894, 10; Allen 1895, 135, 144; Crofton 1903, 47; Andrew 1905, 203, 205; (—) 1912a, 237; (—) 1914, 265, 268, fig. facing 264; Phelps 1919, 99; Kendrick 1941b, 13; Green, C. 1941–2, 119; Pape 1945–6, 38; Sylvester and Nulty 1958, 14; Plunkett 1984, II, 286; Thacker 1987, 290; Sidebottom 1994, 119, 149, 152–3, 154, 262, and pl.; Austin 1999, 81, 82; Sharpe 2002, 101