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

  • 01 May 2013 - 30 June 2013

    Bollington Festival

    The Bollington Festival has been taking place in the small town of Bollington, near Macclesfield, since the 1960s. This big community celebration only takes place every four to seven years due to funding, but is a very popular event. It is run entirely by volunteers.

  • 01 June 2013 - 30 June 2013

    Barnaby Festival

    The Barnaby Festival was born out of the traditional Barnaby Fair, which was taking place in Macclesfield as far back as the 13th century. The modern Barnaby Festival was resurrected in 2010 as an arts festival to celebrate talent in the town. The festival takes place

  • Cheadle Festival

    Cheadle Festival in June 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 from the festival

  • 01 August 2013 - 31 August 2013

    Macclesfield Triathlon

    Hundreds of competitors test their stamina every year in the Macclesfield Triathlon. The event takes place in August and is a big event on the town’s sporting calendar. It attracts novices in the sport as well as seasoned competitors. Teams can also take part for tho

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Macclesfield Blog

  • Residents urged to ring their bells

    Residents will be asked to ring anything from church bells to door bells to launch the start of this year’s Barnaby Festival. Organisers of the arts and culture festival are planning a mass ring-in, entitled Bell-issimo, to kick things off...

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  • New plans for derelict site

    Pubs that have been derelict for more than 10 years could be turned into a new town centre development under major new proposals. Former footballer Ashley Ward is behind plans to build new shops and social housing at the Macclesfield site of The...

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  • Sophie gets her own care home

    Severely disabled teenager Sophie Kavanagh has her own care home thanks to the hard work of her parents. Paul and Gill Kavanagh have spent two years setting up Silk Homecare for their daughter because they were worried about what would...

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  • 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...

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