Macclesfield Local Information: 10 top things to know... more

  • 1. History of Macclesfield

    The Macclesfield Canal, opened in 1831, was one of the last canals to be built in Britain. Macclesfield was famous at the time for its production of silks, but the transport to the town was poor as it was not close to any navigable rivers and had high moorland to the east. The canal is the home of Britain's oldest canal cruising club, the North Cheshire Cruising Club based at ...Read moreHigh Lane, which has played a key role in keeping the canal open. Read less

  • 2. Now in Macclesfield

    Macclesfield is a market town and comes under the Cheshire East Council, after the boroughs of Macclesfield, Congleton and Crewe and Nantwich were amalgamated in 2009. The Macclesfield canal is part of the Cheshire Ring cruising and walking route, making it popular with tourists. The town is also a popular place to stay for those visiting the Peak District.

  • 3. Events in Macclesfield

    A big event on the local sporting calendar is the Macclesfield Triathlon, which is held in August. The event takes place in and around the Macclesfield Leisure Centre. The Barnaby Festival runs for three days in June and is a celebration of arts, culture and fun. The town has had a Barnaby Fair since the 13th century and the modern version of this tradition was resurrected in 2...Read more010 as an arts festival to celebrate local talent and history. The Bollington Festival is a huge community event in the small town of Bollington, on the outskirts of Macclesfield. This celebration takes place every four to seven years, depending on funds, and has been taking place since the 1960s. Read less

  • 4. Attractions in Macclesfield

    The Macclesfield Silk Museum tells the story of the town's rich silk heritage with interactive displays, fascinating archives and working machines. Children's workshops take place at the museum as well as temporary exhibitions and lectures. Paradise Mill is a former working factory that has been restored with original machinery to show visitors working looms. Guided tours last ...Read moreone hour. Read less

  • 5. Things To Do in Macclesfield

    West Park, Macclesfield, includes West Park Museum, in a 19th century building, play areas for children, a bowling green, a café, ornamental gardens, picnic and barbecue areas, skateboarding facilities and tennis courts. Macclesfield Leisure Centre includes a swimming pool, sports hall, squash courts, fitness suite, golf studio, fitness track and more.

  • 6. Business in Macclesfield

    The Macclesfield indoor market takes place every day of the week except for Sundays and is based in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre. The town's outdoor market is held outside the shopping centre on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The Grosvenor Shopping Centre contains many high street names while the Thornton Square Shopping Centre, on the outskirts of the town, contains special...Read moreist independent shops. Read less

  • 7. Transport in Macclesfield

    The A537 runs through Macclesfield and connects to the M6 to the west. The A523 runs to the north and south of the town. Manchester is a short drive away and gives access to a network of motorways in all directions. Manchester Airport is just eight miles from the town. Rail links are good to the town's main station, which is on the West Coast Train Line. Trains to Manchester ta...Read moreke approximately 20 minutes and the journey to London is just under two hours. The bus station is in the centre of the town and has good services to the rest of the region. Read less

  • 8. Entertainment in Macclesfield

    The MADS theatre company performs regularly in the town in The Little Theatre, in Lord Street. Live music takes place in a variety of venues across the town, including the Swan With Two Necks bar and Ronnie's Bar. The Laugh Out Louder Comedy Club runs live comedy events once a month in the town. Macclesfield's cinema, called CINEMAC, is based in the Heritage Centre and has 280 ...Read moreseats. Read less

  • 9. Famous Landmarks in Macclesfield

    Christ Church was built in 1775 by local industrialist Charles Roe, using innovative cast iron columns to support the galleries. The building contains an ornate marble monument listing Roe's achievements. The inside of the building is like a modern concert hall. The building is open for visitors on Mondays from 10am to 3pm.

  • 10. Interesting Facts about Macclesfield

    Hovis began its life in 1886 in Macclesfield when miller Richard Smith teamed up with mill owner Thomas Fitton to try out his theory of how to include wheatgerm in bread. They created Smith's Patent Process Germ Flour. The company later held a national competition to find a better name, and the winner was Hovis - which came from a Latin word meaning strength of man.

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Macclesfield Events

  • 31 May 2012 - 02 June 2012

    Stockport Beer and Cider Festival

    Every summer, the Campaign
    For Real Ale hold the annual
    Stockport Beer and Cider
    Festival, offering over 150
    different types of beers,
    ciders and perrys for
    attendees to try. CAMRA are
    committed to making sure that
    good beer is available
    througho ...more

  • 02 June 2012

    Cheadle Festival

    Cheadle Festival has been
    popular since it first began
    in 1921, and is a firm family
    favourite. It attracts over a
    thousand visitors every year,
    and promises fun and
    laughter, with traditional
    attractions and popular
    events. All of the proceeds
    f ...more

  • 06 August 2011 - 07 August 2011

    The Vintage Village

    On the second Sunday of every
    month, Stockport’s famous
    Victorian Covered Market Hall
    is the home to the Vintage
    Village. Inside the glorious
    cast-iron and glass local
    landmark, you will find
    authentic vintage clothing
    and accessories, homeware and...more

  • 17 July 2011

    Stockport Carnival

    Stockport Carnival is a fun
    filled way to raise cash to
    help local charities and
    promote local businesses. The
    Stockport Carnival is a
    fantastic day out for all of
    the family, with a funfair,
    huge car boot sale and
    marching band. There will
    even ...more

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Macclesfield Blog

  • Programme of fun announced for torch day

    A programme of entertainment and activities has been announced for the Olympic Torch relay’s visit to the region. Events have been organised to take place along the route as the flame is carried through Crewe, Congleton, Macclesfield and Knutsford on May 31. Cheshire East Council is hoping members of the public will turn out in force to welcome the Olympic relay and join in the celebrations. Live music, singing and dancing will be provided throughout the day to make sure …

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  • More Olympic volunteers needed

    Volunteers are being urged to come forward to play their part in the Olympics in Cheshire. Cheshire East Council is still looking for helpers to be involved in the Olympic Torch Relay when it passes through the borough at the end of May. The council has already recruited more than 300 residents to help with the event, but more are still needed. The relay will travel through the streets of Crewe, Congleton, Macclesfield and Knutsford on May 31 and the …

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  • Nerve centre is being built

    Building work has begun on a nerve centre for the world’s biggest telescope. The centre, which will be used by space experts from all over the world, is being built near to the Jodrell Bank observatory on the outskirts of Macclesfield. The building will be single-storey and will cater for around 65 experts from around 20 different countries. They will be working on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which is a system of thousands of telescopes that will be built …

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  • Harry to run for hospice

    A 10-year-old boy is so grateful to a hospice that helps his two brothers, he is going on the run to say thank you. Harry Norton, from Macclesfield, is limbering up to take part in the Donna Louise Trust Children’s Hospice fun run in May. He is hoping his efforts will raise £250 for the service. Harry’s brothers Reims, 11, and Cayman, four, both suffer from severe mental and physical disabilities and have drug resistant epilepsy which causes them to …

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