> It could come from using water (rivers) as a reference. Water flows
> down to the sea.
So lanes flow down to the motorway?
I would say that more likely "up" a lane invokes the meaning "to or at an
important place", in this case the manor house that would normally be at the
end of the lane away from the road.
http://www.oxfordadvancedlearnersdictionary.com/dictionary/up
Such usage is still found in the US today, for example you can walk "up" to
a person even if you are walking downhill.
-- Randall
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