The Church of 'The Holy Ascension was built in 1884
The Churchyard is entered through the Lych Gate over which is carved a short prayer: ‘Grant, O Lord that through the grave and the gate of death we may pass to our joyful resurrection' The gate was a gift of the Potts family who lived at ‘The Oaks', (now the golf clubhouse). From the Lych Gate the path leads to the church with its 93ft spire. Entering the Church through the porch with its side seating there is a plaque recording the grant of £100 towards the building fund from the ‘Incorporated Society for Promoting the Enlargement of Churches' on condition that ‘184 seats should be reserved for the poorer inhabitants of this parish for ever'. Going on into the Nave these seats can be seen. Apart from the ‘free' seats Upton Parishioners would have been able to choose where they sat by paying a seating fee, those paying the highest fee would have first choice. The recommended rate was 7 shillings per seat or 2 guineas per pew; pew rent was paid in advance twice yearly and was used for various church needs such as cleaning, repairs, candles and two shillings for the Bishop.
The focal point of the church is the altar and associated with it, the east window. When the church was built there was an ‘Ascension' window in this position but in 1885 it was removed, to where is a mystery. The space left was increased by 3½ feet and the new window, the crucifixion scene, put in. Built as a chapel-of-ease to St. Mary's on the Hill, Chester, Holy Ascension was under the ministry of Rev. William Massie. The first Sunday Service was on 4th June 1854, conducted by curate Rev. Henry Ireland Blackburne. The singing was led by Colonel E Evans-Lloyd of Plas Newton, at first with a pitch pipe until the following August when a harmonium was provided. A tablet on the North Wall records his 30 years service as organist. He was also treasurer of the Church School, and churchwarden from 1854 until Upton became a separate parish some 30 years later. William Massie died in January 1856, aged 50, there is a memorial to him on the floor of the south transept and his picture hangs in the vestry. The churches he built and the Chester Archaeological society which he founded are continuing signs of his life and work. His successor at St. Mary's was Canon Charles Bowen whose grave is in Upton Churchyard near the Lych Gate. For the first fourteen years of its life, Upton Church was a Chapel of Ease to St. Mary's and was served by various clergy from the mother church, but from about 1868 the Reverend H M Towers was curate-in-charge until the appointment of the first vicar in 1882. The Duke of Westminster appointed his son's tutor, the Reverend Wilfred Sparling MA, to be the first vicar. He was a Cambridge rowing ‘blue' who was ordained at St John the Baptist Church in Chester and served as curate-incharge of St. Barnabas. He died on 10th May 1933 having served Upton for fifty years. His grave is in the old part of the churchyard and a record of his long ministry is carved on the wall near the lectern. Seven years after his appointment it was decided that the new parish should have a vicarage and by the efforts of Colonel Evans-Lloyd a fund was started, supported locally and the balance made up by the Duke. The decision to build was made in March 1889, the foundation stone laid by Mrs Emily Logan on August 15th of the same year and the vicarage finished and occupied eleven months later!

Some interesting first events, recorded in the parish register:- The first baptisms were on 4th June 1854, five babies were baptised.
The first marriage was solemnized on 1st June 1875, between William Holland and Mary Ellen Stockton.
The first burial was on 1st December 1853, that of E. Smith. The first confirmation service was on 27th March 1893 when there were 21 candidates.