Macclesfield is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the

River Bollin The River Bollin is a major tributary of the River Mersey in the north-west of England. It rises in Macclesfield Forest at the western end of the Peak District, and can be seen in spring form, from the Buxton to Macclesfield road. The stream t ...

in the east of the county, on the edge of the

Cheshire Plain The Cheshire Plain is a relatively flat expanse of lowland within the county of Cheshire in North West England but extending south into Shropshire. It extends from the Mersey Valley in the north to the Shropshire Hills in the south, bounded b ...

, with

Macclesfield Forest Macclesfield Forest is an area of woodland, predominantly conifer plantation, located around south east of Macclesfield in the civil parish of Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough, in Cheshire, England. The existing woodland is the last su ...

to its east; it is south of

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

and east of Chester. Before the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...

, Macclesfield was held by

Edwin, Earl of Mercia Edwin (Old English: ''Ēadwine'') (died 1071) was the elder brother of Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, son of Ælfgār, Earl of Mercia and grandson of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on Ælfgār's de ...

and was assessed at £8. The manor is recorded in the ''

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

'' as "Maclesfeld", meaning "Maccel's open country". The

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

town grew up on the hilltop around what is now St Michael's Church. It was granted a charter by Edward I in 1261, before he became king. Macclesfield Grammar School was founded in 1502. The town had a

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

-button industry from at least the middle of the 17th century and became a major silk-manufacturing centre from the mid-18th century. The Macclesfield Canal was constructed in 1826–31. Hovis breadmakers were another Victorian employer. Modern industries include pharmaceuticals. Multiple mill buildings are still standing and several of the town's museums explore the local silk industry. Other landmarks include Georgian buildings such as the Town Hall and former Sunday School; St Alban's Church, designed by

Augustus Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

; and the

Arighi Bianchi Arighi Bianchi is a furniture shop in the town of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. It was founded in 1854 by Italian immigrants Antonio Arighi and Antonio Bianchi who originated from the village of Casnate on the shores of Lake Como. The shop ...

furniture shop. The population of Macclesfield at the 2021 census was 57,539. A person from Macclesfield is referred to as a "Maxonian".

Toponymy

Situated in the ancient

Hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to des ...

of Hamestan, the town is recorded in the ''

'' as "Maclesfeld" and in 1183 it was referred to as "Makeslesfeld". The

English Place-Name Society The English Place-Name Society (EPNS) is a learned society concerned with toponomastics and the toponymy of England, in other words, the study of place-names (toponyms). Its scholars aim to explain the origin and history of the names they stud ...

gives its name as being derived from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...

name, ''Maccel'', and ''field'', yielding the meaning "Maccel's open country". Although "Silk Town" seems to be its preferred nickname, the traditional nickname of Macclesfield is "

Treacle Treacle () is any uncrystallised syrup made during the refining of sugar.Oxford Dictionary The most common forms of treacle are golden syrup, a pale variety, and a darker variety known as black treacle, similar to molasses. Black treacle has ...

Town". This refers to an historical incident when a horse-drawn wagon overturned and spilt its load of treacle onto the street, after which the poor scooped the treacle off the road.

History

Before the

, Macclesfield was held by

, who also held much of the east of the county. Three crosses survive from this period, originally located in

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a location * Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire * ...

, and J. D. Bu'Lock speculates that there might have been a Pre-Conquest church. The area was devastated by the Normans in 1070, and had not recovered by 1086; the

records the manor as having fallen in value from £8 to 20 shillings.

Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester Hugh d'Avranches ( 1047 – 27 July 1101), nicknamed ''le Gros'' (the Large) or ''Lupus'' (the Wolf), was from 1071 the second Norman Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. Early life and career Hugh d'Avra ...

held the manor himself after the Conquest; there was a mill, meadow for oxen, and woodland 6 leagues by 4 leagues. A Norman castle was built at Macclesfield. Macclesfield was granted a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

charter by Ranulf de Blondeville, Earl of Chester, in the early 13th century, and in 1261 a second charter was granted by the future King Edward I, allowing a market, fair and judicial court.Hewitt, pp. 69–70Hartwell ''et al.''., pp. 449–51 The medieval town stood on the hilltop, centred on the parish church of All Saints, which was built in 1278, an extension of a chapel built in approximately 1220. In 1357, a hall was built in the town for the mayor's court and the borough court (portmote). The town lacked industries at this date and was described as poor, remaining a small market town until the end of the 15th century, with a population numbered in the hundreds.Driver, pp. 43–45, 109 The

Cheshire archers The Cheshire archers were a body of elite soldiers noted for their skills with the longbow that fought in many engagements in England and France in the Middle Ages. Battles at which there were sizeable numbers of Cheshire archers include Agincourt ...

were a body of elite soldiers noted for their skills with the longbow that fought in many engagements in Britain and France in the Middle Ages. Battles at which there were sizeable numbers of Cheshire archers include Agincourt and Crecy. In 1277 Edward I employed 100 of these archers from the Macclesfield area as his personal bodyguard, his successor Richard II also employed a bodyguard of these yeoman archers who came from the Macclesfield Hundred and the forest districts of Cheshire. The borough had a weekly market and two annual fairs: the Barnaby fair on St Barnabas day (11 June), the other on the feast of All Souls (2 November). In recent years the Barnaby fair has been reinvented as the Barnaby Festival, a cultural festival in mid-June. The weekly market no longer happens but on the last Sunday of each month the Treacle Market is held, a large market selling locally produced food and handmade items such as clothing, handmade goods and pottery. Macclesfield was the administrative centre of the Hundred of Macclesfield, which occupied most of east Cheshire. The Earl of Chester's manor of Macclesfield was very large, and its boundary extended to

Disley Disley is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. It is located on the edge of the Peak District in the Goyt valley, south of Stockport and close to the county boundary with Derbyshire at New Mills. The population at the 2011 Census ...

. The manor house was on the edge of the deer park, on the west of the town. In the 14th century, it had a king's chamber and a queen's hall, as well as a large stable, and the manor served as a

stud farm A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word " stud" comes from the Old English ''stod'' meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding". Historically, documentation ...

for

Edward the Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, suc ...

. The Earls of Chester established the Forest of Macclesfield, which was much larger than its present-day namesake. It was used for hunting deer and pasturing sheep and cattle. By the end of the 13th century, large areas of the forest had been ploughed because of the pressure of population growth. In 1356, two trees from the forest were given to archer

William Jauderell William Jauderell was an archer in the English armies in Wales of Edward, the Black Prince in the 14th century. A descendant of Peter Jauderel, a soldier who had helped King Edward conquer Wales in the late 13th century, William Jauderell held ...

to repair his home. View of Macclesfield from Macclesfield train station 2014

Macclesfield Castle was a fortified town house built by John de Macclesfield in the later

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. Construction began in 1398, and that year an application was made for a

licence to crenellate In medieval England, Wales and the Channel Islands a licence to crenellate (or licence to fortify) granted the holder permission to fortify his property. Such licences were granted by the king, and by the rulers of the counties palatine within th ...

, or fortify, the building. Two

chantries A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings: # a chantry service, a Christian liturgy of prayers for the dead, which historically was an obiit, or # a chantry chapel, a building on private land, or an area i ...

were founded in the town: one in 1422 by the Legh family, and one in 1504 by Thomas Savage. In 1502, Macclesfield Grammar School was founded by Sir John Percyvale. No proof exists that Macclesfield was ever a walled town. When the settlement was first established and for some centuries afterwards there would have certainly been some sort of ditch and palisade round the western side of the town which was not naturally defended. This was necessary in order to keep out undesirable people and stray animals. No physical trace of a ditch remains though measurements and the shape of certain streets suggest where such a ditch could have been and most of the medieval building were within this area. It is unlikely that the ditch and palisade were succeeded by a wall for no record has been found of a murage tax, which would certainly have been levied to keep the wall in repair. The suffix "Gate" in the names of several Macclesfield streets has been taken to indicate the former presence of a gate in the sense of a guarded opening in a wall, however, this is very unlikely as the term 'gate' is derived from 'gata', Scandinavian for road, which became gate in Middle English.A history of Macclesfield. Macclesfield Borough Council, edited by Clarice Stella Davies, University of Manchester Press, 1961. Therefore, Chester Gate, the Jordan Gate and the Church Wall Gate (some sources give the name Well Gate for this gate), are simply referring to the road to/from Chester or the road leading from the church to the well. These names are preserved in the names of three streets in the town, Chestergate, Jordangate and Back Wallgate.Streets and houses of old Macclesfield. John Earles, 1915. Republished MTD Rigg Publications, Leeds, 1990. A charter of 1595 established a town governing body consisting of the mayor, two aldermen and 24 "capital burgesses", and the powers of this body were increased by a charter of 1684. By the

Tudor era The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began with t ...

, Macclesfield was prospering, with industries including the manufacture of harnesses, gloves and especially buttons, and later ribbons, tapes and fancy ware.Beck, pp. 52–53Hodson, p. 149

Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

was mined from the 16th century. In 1664, the population was around 2,600, making Macclesfield the third-largest town in the county, after Chester and

Nantwich Nantwich ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It has among the highest concentrations of listed buildings in England, with notably good examples of Tudor and Georgian architecture. ...

, although the town had expanded little from its medieval extent and had fewer large houses than Nantwich and Stockport. By around 1720, the number of households had increased to 925, and this rapid population growth continued throughout the 18th century, reaching 8,743 in 1801.Hodson, p. 109 In the 1580s, Macclesfield was one of the earliest towns in the county to have

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

preaching "Exercises", and it was also an early centre for the

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

. By 1718 an estimated 10% of the population was Nonconformist. Towards the end of that century, the town had a large

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

congregation, and Christ Church was the only Anglican church in the county to invite John Wesley to preach. Armoury Towers 1

During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, in 1642 the town was occupied for the King by Sir Thomas Aston, a Royalist. In the

Jacobite Rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...

, Charles Stuart and his army marched through Macclesfield as they attempted to reach London. The mayor was forced to welcome the prince, and the event is commemorated in one of the town's silk tapestries. The population was 24,137 by 1841. Armoury Towers was completed in 1858 and the Bridge Street drill hall was completed in 1871.

Industry

Macclesfield was once the world's biggest producer of finished silk. A domestic button industry had been established in the town by the mid-16th century, although the first mention of silk buttons is not until 1649. In the mid-18th century, when metal buttons became fashionable, the silk-button industry transitioned to silk manufacture in mills. Macclesfield's first silk mill was founded by Charles Roe in 1743 or 1744. The mills were initially powered by water, and later by steam. There were 71 silk mills operating in 1832, employing 10,000 people, but a crash occurred in 1851 and many mill-workers emigrated to the American silk town of Paterson, New Jersey. The silk industry remained active in the town in the 1980s, but no longer dominated. Paradise Mill reopened in 1984 as a working mill museum, demonstrating the art of silk throwing and

Jacquard weaving The Jacquard machine () is a device fitted to a loom that simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles with such complex patterns as brocade, damask and matelassé. The resulting ensemble of the loom and Jacquard machine is then called a J ...

. The four Macclesfield Museums display a range of information and products from that period. A short-lived

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

-smelting operation was established by Roe in 1750, processing ore from mines at

Alderley Edge Alderley Edge is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. In 2011, it had a population of 4,780. Alderley Edge is northwest of Macclesfield and south of Manchester, at the base of a steep and thickly wooded sandstone escarpment, Alder ...

and Ecton ( Staffordshire), and later from

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

. The business switched to copper processing and the manufacture of

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

in 1767, before closing after Roe's death in 1781. The industry is reflected in some of the town's street names. Between 1826 and 1831 the Macclesfield Canal was constructed, linking Macclesfield to

Marple Marple may refer to: Places * Marple, Greater Manchester, a town close to Stockport, in England ** Marple Bridge, a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester ** Marple railway station in Marple, Greater Manches ...

to the north and Kidsgrove to the south. The canal was surveyed for its Act of Parliament by the canal and roads engineer

Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...

, and built by William Crosley (junior), the Macclesfield Canal Company's engineer. It was the last narrow canal to be completed and had only limited success because within ten years much of the coal and other potential cargo was increasingly being transported by rail. Hovismill

Macclesfield is the original home of Hovis breadmakers, produced in Publicity Works Mill (commonly referred to as "the Hovis Mill") on the canal close to Buxton Road. It was founded by a Macclesfield businessman and a baker from Stoke-on-Trent. ''Hovis'' is said to derive from the Latin "homo-vitalis" (strength for man) as a way of providing a cheap and nutritious food for poor mill workers and was a very dry and dense wholemeal loaf completely different from the modern version. Waters Green was once home to a nationally known horse market which features in the legend of the Wizard of

. Waters Green and an area opposite

, now hidden under the Silk Road, also held a sheep and cattle market until the 1980s. Macclesfield is said to be the only mill town to have escaped bombing in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. After the war, two pharmaceutical companies opened facilities in Macclesfield, Geigy (now part of

Novartis Novartis AG is a Swiss-American multinational pharmaceutical corporation based in Basel, Switzerland and Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (global research).name="novartis.com">https://www.novartis.com/research-development/research-loc ...

) and the pharmaceutical division of ICI (now

AstraZeneca AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includi ...

Governance

Macclesfield was first represented in Parliament after the

Reform Act of 1832 The Representation of the People Act 1832 (also known as the 1832 Reform Act, Great Reform Act or First Reform Act) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom (indexed as 2 & 3 Will. IV c. 45) that introduced major changes to the electo ...

, when it was granted two

Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MPs). This situation lasted until 1880, when after problems at the general election that year it was decided to declare the election void and suspend the writ of election (so no by-election could take place). In September 1880 a Royal Commission was appointed to investigate further. A report of March 1881 confirmed the allegations of corruption. As a result, the borough constituency was disenfranchised for corruption. The disenfranchisement took effect on 25 June 1885, when the town was transferred to the East Cheshire constituency. However under the

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict., c. 23) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equal ...

the Macclesfield constituency was recreated with extended boundaries, as a county division, later in 1885. From the 1885 general election it has elected one MP. Macclesfield was for some time considered to be a safe seat for the Conservative Party, having been held by it since the 1918 general election, but the 2017 election showed a significant swing away from the Conservatives. Currently, Macclesfield is represented by

David Rutley David Henry Rutley (born 7 March 1961) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Macclesfield since 2010. A member of the Conservative Party, has been Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Americas and Ca ...

, a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

and practising

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...

.macclesfieldexpress
Rutley_plans_to_act_differently. He was selected for this seat in 2010, when Sir Nicholas Winterton, who had been the incumbent for 38 years, announced his retirement following unfavourable press coverage relating to the claiming of Parliamentary expenses. Sir Nicholas' wife, Ann Winterton, held the neighbouring seat of Congleton. Macclesfield was governed locally by Macclesfield Municipal Borough (see

Macclesfield (borough) Macclesfield was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It included the towns of Bollington, Knutsford, Macclesfield and Wilmslow and within its wider area the villages and hamlets of Adlingto ...

) until 1974 when Macclesfield Borough Council was established, a local government district with borough status. Following the establishment of

Cheshire East Council Cheshire East Council is the local authority of the Borough of Cheshire East, Cheshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government ...

in 2009 the borough was abolished and the Mayoralty transferred to

charter trustees In England and Wales, charter trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a town charter or city charter after a district with the status of a borough or city has been abolished, until such time as a parish council is established. Duties are ...

. Macclesfield Town Council was established in 2015 following a community governance review which established a

. Macclesfield Town Council is controlled by the Labour Party, with 9 councillors. There are 3 Independent councillors, and no Conservatives. Macclesfield is also represented by 12 councillors on Cheshire East Council: 9 Labour, 3 Independents.

Geography

Macclesfield is in the east of Cheshire, on the

, a tributary of the

River Mersey The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed par ...

. It is close to the county borders of

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...

to the north,

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

to the east and Staffordshire to the south. It is near the towns of Stockport to the north,

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Congleton to the south. It is 38 miles (60 km) to the east of Chester, the county town of Cheshire. To the west of the town lies the

. To the east is

, containing Ridgegate and

Trentabank Reservoir Trentabank Reservoir is within Macclesfield Forest, partly in the Peak District National Park, in England, and is home to rich unimproved uplands and grasslands. The reservoir is surrounded mainly by coniferous plantations and is also home to ab ...

s which supply the town's drinking water, as well as

Tegg's Nose Tegg's Nose is a hill east of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. It has a short ridge with a high point of 380 metres (1246 feet) at , terminating in a promontory at the southern end. It lies on the western edge of the Peak District, alt ...

and the

Peak District The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It includes the Dark Peak, where moorla ...

. The Macclesfield Built-up Area forms an urban area which extends from the town to an area that includes the town of

Bollington Bollington is a town and civil parish in Cheshire, England, to the east of Prestbury. In the Middle Ages, it was part of the Earl of Chester's manor of Macclesfield and the ancient parish of Prestbury. In 2011, it had a population of 8,310. ...

and the village of Prestbury. The urban area has a population of 63,954. According to the 2011 census, the gender makeup of the population was 31,266 male and 32,688 female. The ethnic makeup of the whole urban area was under 96.2% white and 2.2% Asian. Other ethnic minorities were 1.6%. The religious make up of the whole area includes: 66.3% Christian, 0.5% Muslim, 24.8% Irreligious and 6.8% not stated.

Climate

Like most of the United Kingdom, Macclesfield has a

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cfb''). Records of the climate extend back to at least 1850. Between 1881 and 2005, the highest temperature has been on 3 August 1990 and the lowest, from at least 1850–2005, on 25 December 1860.

Landmarks

The town is famous for its once thriving

industry, commemorated in the Silk Museum. The

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

Town Hall was designed by Francis Goodwin in 1823. Macclesfield is home to an

church, St Alban's on Chester Road.

Economy

Macclesfield is the manufacturing home to

, one of the world's largest

pharmaceutical companies The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate symptoms. ...

. The furniture store

was founded in 1829. Other industries include

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

s, light

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...

and

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

Transport

Railway

Macclesfield station Macclesfield railway station is a main line station serving the Cheshire town of Macclesfield. It lies on the Stafford to Manchester branch of the West Coast Main Line in the United Kingdom. Facilities at the station include ticket sales, a ...

is on the Stafford to Manchester branch of the

West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...

Avanti West Coast Avanti West Coast is a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that operates the West Coast Partnership franchise. During November 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the Inter ...

operates generally hourly services to Manchester Piccadilly (20 minutes away), Stoke-on-Trent (15 minutes) and

London Euston Euston railway station ( ; also known as London Euston) is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the UK's busiest inter-city rail ...

(1 hour 47 minutes); services to

Birmingham New Street Birmingham New Street is the largest and busiest of the three main railway stations in Birmingham city centre, England, and a central hub of the British railway system. It is a major destination for Avanti West Coast services from , and vi ...

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...

and beyond are provided by CrossCountry.

Northern Trains Northern Trains, branded as Northern, (legally Northern Trains Limited) is a publicly owned train operating company in England. It is owned by DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT), after the previous operator Arriva Rail N ...

' hourly stopping service between Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent calls at Macclesfield. A railway station was first opened at Beech Lane by the

LNWR The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the L ...

on 19 June 1849, which was replaced a month later by Hibel Road station. The current station dates from the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line in the mid-1960s, when the old station buildings were demolished to make way for new buildings.

Buses

Macclesfield has a bus station located within the town centre. The original building opened on Sunderland Street, just outside the railway station; it was replaced in 2004, when a new bus station opened on Queen Victoria Street. The principal operators around Macclesfield are

Arriva North West Arriva North WestCompanies House extract company no 1990871

and two subsidiaries of

Centrebus Group Centrebus Group, is a public transport company based in Leicester with bus services in the Midlands, North West and South East of England. Owned by Julian Peddle, the group contains Chaserider, Centrebus, High Peak Buses and D&G Bus. Hi ...

D&G Bus D&G Bus is a local bus operator owned by Centrebus Group and is based in Adderley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. History D&G Bus was formed by David Reeves and Gerald Henderson in April 1998 initially operating four buses on two routes ...

and

High Peak Buses High Peak Buses Limited is a bus company based in Dove Holes, Derbyshire, formed in 2012. It operates a mixture of local and long-distance commercial and subsidised public bus services in and around the Borough of High Peak, after which it is ...

. There are around 15 bus routes in Macclesfield that run within the town or surrounding towns such as Congleton,

Wilmslow Wilmslow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England, south of Manchester city centre. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census. History Toponymy Wilmslow derives its name from Old ...

and

Knutsford Knutsford () is a market town in the borough of Cheshire East, in Cheshire, England. Knutsford is south-west of Manchester, north-west of Macclesfield and 12.5 miles (20 km) south-east of Warrington. The population at the 2011 Census was ...

. Other locations that are served from Macclesfield include Stockport, Crewe,

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population ...

Wythenshawe Wythenshawe () is a district of the city of Manchester, England. Historically in Cheshire, Wythenshawe was transferred in 1931 to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a massive housing estate there in the 1920s. With an area of approx ...

and Chatsworth House. Buses in the town run Monday to Saturday; the only service that runs on a Sunday is High Peak route 58 to Chatsworth House.

Roads

Macclesfield is served by good road links from the north, south and west, but has fewer roads going east due to the terrain of the Peak District. From the south, access from Congleton and

the Potteries The Staffordshire Potteries is the industrial area encompassing the six towns Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall, which is now the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. North Staffordshire became a centre of ...

is from the A536, and via the A523 from Leek. From the north, the main access to the town is the A523 from Manchester, Hazel Grove and

Poynton Poynton is a town in Cheshire, England, on the easternmost fringe of the Cheshire Plain, south-east of Manchester, north of Macclesfield and south of Stockport. Poynton has formed part of the Cheshire East unitary authority since the ab ...

. The main west–east road is the A537

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.A538 provides access to Prestbury,

and Manchester Airport, with the B5470 being the only other eastbound route from the town, heading to

Whaley Bridge Whaley Bridge () is a town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England. It is situated on the River Goyt, south-east of Manchester, north of Buxton, north-east of Macclesfield and west of Sheffield. It had a population ...

and

Chapel-en-le-Frith Chapel-en-le-Frith () is a town and civil parish in the Borough of High Peak in Derbyshire, England. It has been dubbed the "Capital of the Peak", in reference to the Peak District, historically the upperland areas between the Saxon lands (belo ...

Culture

Macclesfield has been accused of having few cultural amenities. In 2004, research was published in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'' naming Macclesfield and its borough the most uncultured town in Britain, based on its lack of theatres, cinemas and other cultural facilities. The

Northern Chamber Orchestra The Northern Chamber Orchestra (NCO) is a chamber orchestra based in Manchester, England. Established in 1967, the orchestra gives concerts at Heritage Centre, Macclesfield and The Stoller Hall, Manchester as well as a Christmas concert at Tatto ...

, the oldest professional chamber ensemble in the North West, has its home at the Macclesfield Heritage Centre and presents a series of eight concerts a year, attracting international guest soloists. The Silk Opera Company was created to perform 'The Monkey Run' at Barnaby. After recent rationalisation, the town now has one museum - the Silk Museum on Park Lane, which includes paid access to Paradise Mill, a former silk mill. The Silk Museum houses the Ancient Egyptian artefacts brought back by Victorian antiquarian Marianne Brocklehurst and her partner Mary Booth: these were formerly held in West Park Museum, as well as a number of art galleries. The Macclesfield Model Railway Group is nationally recognised as a leading railway modelling club, known for many layouts since its foundation in 1957. The 'Macclesfield Literary and Philosophical Society' was formed in 2006, partly in response to ''

'' 2004 article. The Red Willow Pub in Macclesfield has played host to three meetups of members from the popular internet forum, USH.net with a fourth planned in 2022. The events, affectionately known as 'Red Willow, 2PM, Let's talk about it' have been widely regarded as an unmitigated success and that is 100% confirmed despite several locals suggesting that the group descending upon the town was "concerning, very concerning indeed". Renowned badger authority, Brookside contributor and famed poet Nicholas Prosser is 100% confirmed, with Queen guitarist Brian May rumoured to be making a guest appearance. Local newspapers include the ''Macclesfield Express'' and the ''Community News''. Macclesfield residents have access to Macclesfield Forum, an online

message board An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...

, for informal discussion of local news and issues. The town is also served by two locally based radio stations: Canalside Community Radio based at the

Clarence Mill Clarence Mill is a five-storey former cotton spinning mill in Bollington, Cheshire, in England. It was built between 1834 and 1877 for the Swindells family of Bollington. It was built alongside the Macclesfield Canal, which opened in 1831. ...

, just north of Macclesfield, and

Silk FM Cheshire's Silk 106.9 is an Independent Local Radio serving Macclesfield and parts of East Cheshire, owned and operated by neighbouring station Chester's Dee Radio. It broadcasts a mix of current and classic hits alongside local news and spor ...

, a commercial independent radio station with studios in the town. Local information websites include ''Visit Macclesfield'' and the local what's on guide, ''Canalside's The Thread''. The last remaining commercial cinema in Macclesfield closed in 1997. Discussions have taken place regarding the possibility of building a multiplex cinema, but attempts to build a cinema have thus far been unsuccessful. In 2005 a small-scale cinema, Cinemac, was set up in the Heritage Centre, which has since become well established; also based in the Heritage Centre is the Silk Screen arts cinema, which gives fortnightly screenings of art-house films. Amateur dramatics is well represented in the town: the Macclesfield Amateur Dramatic Society has existed since 1947 and performs in its own theatre on Lord Street. The Macclesfield Majestic Theatre Group has been producing musicals since its inception in 1971, initially at the Majestic Theatre (hence the title), but latterly at various other locations after the theatre was converted into a public house by the new tenants. Most recently, shows have been produced at the Heritage Centre, the Evans Theatre in

and MADS Theatre on Lord Street. Several members of this society have progressed to the professional stage, most notably Marshall Lancaster and Jonathan Morris. Gawsworth Hall hosts an annual

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

festival as well as many arts and music events throughout the year. There is a Popworld nightspot, rated as the "absolute worst place in the region" by Lonely Planet. Macclesfield has appeared in film: it was used as the location for Sir John Mills's film ''So Well Remembered'' in 1947. Some of the locations are still recognisable, such as Hibel Road. A fictionalised version of Macclesfield's railway station appeared in the 2005 football hooliganism film '' Green Street''. It was also the location of ''

Control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controllin ...

'' (2007), a film about

Ian Curtis Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division, with whom he released the albums ''Unknown P ...

, the lead singer of

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...

. The blues singer John Mayall was born in the town in 1933. Macclesfield was also the home town of

and Stephen Morris of

, and

Gillian Gilbert Gillian Lesley Gilbert (born 27 January 1961) is an English musician and singer, best known as the keyboardist and guitarist of the band New Order. Early life Gilbert's family moved from her birthplace, Manchester, to the nearby market town of ...

who, along with Morris, was a member of New Order. A memorial to Curtis is located at Macclesfield Crematorium. Other Macclesfield acts to have gained recognition include The Macc Lads and

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

Silk Brass Band Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), cocoons. The be ...

, the Macclesfield-based brass band, won the National Championship of Great Britain Third Section Final in 2002. Having been promoted from the third section in 2002, they have since consistently competed in the Second, First and Championship sections of the UK's brass band grading system. Local band

the Virginmarys The Virginmarys are an English rock duo from Macclesfield, England. The band formed in 2009 as a trio and self-released a limited series of sold out EPs, before releasing their debut album '' King of Conflict'' on DoubleCross/Cooking Vinyl an ...

has achieved national and international success and chart-topping UK band

The 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in 2002 in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Now based in Manchester, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew "Matty" Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer ...

come from Macclesfield. In literature, Macclesfield is the second principal location of the

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

novels ''

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen ''The Weirdstone of Brisingamen: A Tale of Alderley'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author Alan Garner. Garner began work on the novel, his literary debut, in 1957, after he moved into the late medieval house, Toad Hall, in Blackden ...

'' and '' The Moon of Gomrath'' by

Alan Garner Alan Garner (born 17 October 1934) is an English novelist best known for his children's fantasy novels and his retellings of traditional British folk tales. Much of his work is rooted in the landscape, history and folklore of his native coun ...

. In 2008, the borough was named as the fifth happiest of 273 districts in Britain by researchers from the universities of Sheffield and

, who used information on self-reported personal well-being from the British Household Panel Survey.

Education

Macclesfield is served by four state-funded

academies An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

(previously state high schools); Tytherington School, The Macclesfield Academy, Fallibroome Academy and All Hallows Catholic College. There is also an independent school, Beech Hall School. Macclesfield Academy is made up of pupils from the former school Henbury High School, and also took in the pupils left over when Ryles Park secondary school closed in 2004. Ryles Park had been in turn an amalgamation of Ryles Park girls school and the oldest state school in the town, Macclesfield Central boys school, which closed in 1975. It is on the site of Macclesfield College and Park Lane Special School as part of the Macclesfield 'Learning Zone', which was opened in 2007. Macclesfield High School was the name originally given to the girls grammar school on Fence Avenue which formed part of the King's School.

Religion

The hilltop church of St Michael and All Angels has views of nearby

Kerridge Hill Kerridge Hill (also called Kerridge Ridge) is a hill in Cheshire, near the hamlet of Kerridge on the outskirts of Bollington. The summit is above sea level. The River Dean runs along the eastern foot of the hill. White Nancy is a prominent lan ...

. The church is approached from Waters Green by a flight of 108 steps, which themselves are a local landmark. Macclesfield Heritage Centre, former Sunday School

Macclesfield Heritage Centre, former Sunday School

Macclesfield Sunday School started in 1796 as a non-denominational Sunday School in Pickford Street, which catered for 40 children. It was founded by John Whitaker whose objective was "to lessen the sum of human wretchedness by diffusing religious knowledge and useful learning among the lower classes of society". Though chapels set up their denominational schools, the Sunday School committee in 1812 elected to erect a purpose-built school on Roe Street. The Big Sunday School had 1,127 boys and 1,324 girls on its books when it opened. St Alban's Church in Chester Road is an active

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

. The church is recorded in the

National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, a ...

as a designated Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. It was designed by A. W. N. Pugin. Christ Church is a brick-built redundant Anglican church, located on Great King Street. It is recorded in the

as a designated Grade II*

, and is under the care of the

Churches Conservation Trust The Churches Conservation Trust is a registered charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk in England. The charity cares for over 350 churches of architectural, cultural and historic significance, which have been transferred in ...

. The church was in use until 1981. It remains consecrated and is used occasionally for services. There is a

church located on Victoria Road. Other churches of architectural merit include: *

King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield is in the town of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. History The chapel was built in 1690, soon aft ...

* St George's Church, Macclesfield * St Paul's Church, Macclesfield * St Peter's Church, Macclesfield * Holy Trinity Church, Hurdsfield * Macclesfield United Reformed Church

Sport and leisure

Football

Macclesfield's professional football club,

Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was wound-up after a High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially known as Macclesfield F.C., the club was formed in 1874 ...

, first gained

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

status in 1997 as

Football Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...

Champions; they had won that title two years earlier but were denied promotion as their

Moss Rose Moss Rose, known as The Leasing.com Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, which is the home ground of Macclesfield F.C., and the former home of Macclesfield Town, a club wound up in September ...

stadium in the south of the town failed to meet Football League stadium capacity requirements. At the end of the 2019–20 season, the Silkmen were relegated from EFL League Two. In September 2020, Macclesfield Town Football Club was wound up in the High Court over debts totalling more than £500,000.

Macclesfield F.C.

On 13 October 2020, the

Official Receiver An officer of the Insolvency Service of the United Kingdom, an official receiver (OR) is an officer of the court to which they are attached. The OR is answerable to the courts for carrying out the courts' orders and for fulfilling their duties ...

confirmed that the assets of Macclesfield Town had been sold to Macc Football Club Limited. Local businessman Robert Smethurst had purchased the assets, and rebranded the club as Macclesfield F.C., they currently play in the Northern Premier League(Division One West).

Other football clubs

Youth football teams include Macclesfield Juniors FC, Macclesfield Saints JFC, Moss Rose Juniors FC and Tytherington Juniors.

Other sports

Macclesfield RUFC, the town's

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

club, plays in

National League 1 National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...

, following promotion from

National League 2 North National League 2 North is one of three, level four leagues in the English rugby union system and provides semi-professional competition for teams in the northern half of England, the North. The remainder of England is covered by the two counte ...

in the 2013–14 season. Macclesfield Chess Club is one of the oldest chess clubs in the country having been founded in 1886. Macclesfield's

cycling club A cycling club is a society for cyclists. Clubs tend to be mostly local, and can be general or specialised. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Cyclists' Touring Club, (CTC) is a national cycling association; the Tricycle Association, Tandem ...

Macclesfield Wheelers is a local club for all cycling activities, from pleasure riding to racing. World-famous cyclist

Reg Harris Reginald Hargreaves Harris OBE (1 March 1920 – 22 June 1992) was a British track racing cyclist in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the world amateur sprint title in 1947, two Olympic silver medals in 1948, and the professional title in 19 ...

produced "Reg Harris" bikes in Macclesfield for three years during the 1960s. The local cycling campaign group is known as MaccBUG (Macclesfield Borough Bicycle Users Group). Formed in 1999, it campaigns for better cycling provision for leisure and utility cyclists. Macclesfield Harriers & Athletic Club is an active club with over 500 members. The club caters for all abilities and ages. There are sections for road running, track & field, fell running and cross country. Macclesfield Hockey Club is a community club with 8 senior teams and a thriving junior section. They cater for players of all abilities from the age of 5 upwards. At the first team level, the Ladies play in the Regional North Leagues and the men in the North West Hockey Premier League. In December 2006,

Sport England Sport England is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Its role is to build the foundations of a community sport system by working with national governing bodies of sport, and other funded par ...

published a survey which revealed that residents of Macclesfield were the third-most active in England in sports and other fitness activities; 29.3% of the population participate at least three times a week for 30 minutes. Macclesfield

parkrun Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of events for walkers, runners and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across six continents. Junior Parkrun (stylised as junior parkrun) ...

, a free weekly timed 5k run, takes place in South Park every Saturday morning at 9.00am.

Notable people

Politicians

* John Brocklehurst DL, MP (1788–1870) Head of a family of silk producers, banker and MP for Macclesfield for 36 years from 1832 to 1868. * William Coare Brocklehurst (1818–1900) English Liberal Party politician. retrieved December 2017 Son of John and his successor as MP (1868–80). Unseated after a complaint of bribery during the 1880 election which caused the borough to lose its representation in Westminster; son

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

(1851–1933) * David Chadwick (1821–1895) English accountant and Liberal Party politician. One of two MP's for Macclesfield from 1868 to 1880 when unseated and then convicted of bribery and of making a false return of election expenses *

William Brocklehurst Brocklehurst Lieutenant-Colonel William Brocklehurst Brocklehurst (18 May 1851 – 27 June 1929) was a businessman and Liberal Party politician from Macclesfield in Cheshire. He sat in the House of Commons from 1906 to 1918. The son of William Coare Brocklehur ...

(1851–1929) businessman and Liberal Party MP for Macclesfield from 1906 to 1918 * Sir

Walter Bromley-Davenport Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Walter Henry Bromley-Davenport TD DL (15 September 1903 – 26 December 1989) was a British Conservative Party politician. Early years One of the four sons of Walter Arthur Bromley-Davenport (28 September 1863 – 5 Nov ...

TD DL, Kt. (1903–1989) Conservative MP for

from 1945 until 1970 * Sir Nicholas Winterton (born 1938) retired Conservative politician, MP for Macclesfield from 1971 until 2010

Public service

* Blessed John Shert (c.1544–1582) English Catholic priest and martyr, executed during the reign of

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...

, beatified in 1889. * Rev David Simpson, M.A. (1745–1799) Anglican priest who spent most of his career in Macclesfield * William Buckley, (1780–1856) escaped convict, survived among Australian aborigines between 1803 and 1835, raised here. *

John Charles Ryle John Charles Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900) was an English evangelical Anglican bishop. He was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool. Life He was the eldest son of John Ryle, private banker, of Park House, Macclesfield, M.P. for Maccles ...

(1816–1900) was the first Anglican

Bishop of Liverpool The Bishop of Liverpool is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool in the Province of York.''Crockford's Clerical Directory'', 100th edition, (2007), Church House Publishing. . The diocese stretches from Southport in the n ...

Thomas Mottershead Thomas Mottershead Victoria Cross, VC, Distinguished Conduct Medal, DCM (17 January 1892 – 12 January 1917) was an England, English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the ene ...

(c.1825 – 1884) British trade unionist and socialist activist * Herbert Philips (c.1835–1905) philanthropist and justice of the peace * Sir Samuel Rowe KCMG (1835–1888) doctor and colonial administrator of

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

, the Gambia and

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

Arthur Smith Woodward Sir Arthur Smith Woodward, FRS (23 May 1864 – 2 September 1944) was an English palaeontologist, known as a world expert in fossil fish. He also described the Piltdown Man fossils, which were later determined to be fraudulent. He is not relate ...

, (1864–1944) palaeontologist specialising in fossil fish, was born and educated here * Richard Crosse DSO & Bar (1888–1970) distinguished British Army officer *

Vera Brittain Vera Mary Brittain (29 December 1893 – 29 March 1970) was an English Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse, writer, feminist, socialist and pacifist. Her best-selling 1933 memoir '' Testament of Youth'' recounted her experiences during the Fir ...

(1893–1970) nurse, writer,The making of a peacenik, Mark Bostridge, The Guardian, 30 August 2003
retrieved December 2017 feminist and pacifist, lived in Macclesfield as a child * Edward Brittain MC (1895 in Macclesfield – 1918) British Army officer, fought and died in World War I, WW1 and was immortalised by his sister

in ''Testament of Youth'' * Percy Wragg Brian Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS FRSE Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, CBE (1910–1979) British botanist and mycologist, developed natural antibiotics * Alec Stokes, (1919–2003) scientist worked on X-ray crystallography and DNA was born here. * Christine Tacon, Christine Mary Tacon Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 1959) the United Kingdom's Groceries Code Adjudicator * Tony Pollard (archaeologist), Tony Pollard (born 1965) archaeologist, specialising in the archaeology of conflict

Commerce

* Charles Roe (1715–1781) industrialist, helped establish the silk industry in Macclesfield * James Pigot (1769–1843) British publisher of directories, and a pioneering publisher of Business directory, trade directories * John Birchenough JP (1825–1895) silk manufacturer in the town and local politiciand * Thomas Wardle (industrialist), Sir Thomas Wardle (1831–1909) businessman, known for his innovations in silk dyeing and printing on silk * William Ryle, William Ryle II (1834–1881) silk manufacturer * Henry Birchenough, Sir John Henry Birchenough, 1st Baronet, GCMG (1853–1937) English businessman and public servant. *Peter Gaddum (1902–1986) was the sole provider of raw silk to the UK during much of

The Arts

* Alfred Gatley (1816–1863) was an English sculptor * John William Wadsworth (1879–1955), ceramics designer for Mintons, born in Macclesfield * Mabel Frances Layng (1881–1937) English landscape and figure painter * Charles Tunnicliffe Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, OBE, Royal Academician, RA (1901–1979) naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife; born in the village of Langley, Cheshire, Langley * Kika Markham (born 1940) English actress, widow of Corin Redgrave * Sarah Burton Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 1974) fashion designer, creative director of fashion brand Alexander McQueen * Helen Marten, (born 1985) sculptor who won the Turner Prize and the inaugural The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture, Hepworth Prize *Robert Longden (actor), Robert Longden (born 1951) composer, librettist, director, film, stage and television actor

Journalists and writers

* Hester Rogers (1756–1794) British Methodist writer and role model for women Methodists * Sui Sin Far (born Edith Maude Eaton; 1865–1914) author, wrote about Chinese people in North America * Joseph McCabe, (1867–1955) rationalist writer and critic of religion, was born here * Brian Redhead, (1929–1993) ''Manchester Guardian'' journalist and BBC Radio 4 ''Today (BBC Radio 4), Today'' anchorman, lived in the town * Andreas Whittam Smith, Sir Andreas Whittam Smith, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 1937) financial journalist, founded and edited The Independent newspaper in 1986 * Michael Jackson (TV executive), Michael Jackson (born 1958) television producer and executive, was Controller of both BBC One and BBC Two and Chief Executive of Channel 4, between 1997 and 2001 * Peter Stanford (born 1961) writer, editor, journalist, presenter, known for biographies and writings on religion and ethics * Nick Robinson (journalist), Nick Robinson, (born 1963) was political editor for the BBC, now presenter of the Today (BBC Radio 4), Today programme * Stuart Evers (born 1976) novelist, short story writer and critic.

Music

* Forbes Robinson (1926–1987) bass, known for his performances in works by Mozart, Verdi, and Britten. * John Mayall Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 1933) blues musician and bandleader, influential in the British blues movement * Noddy Holder (born 1946) lead singer of Slade, lives in the town. *

(1956–1980) lead singer of

, lived and died there. He is buried in the Macclesfield cemetery. * Stephen Morris (born 1957) drummer in the bands

, New Order, The Other Two (duo), The Other Two & Bad Lieutenant (band), Bad Lieutenant *

(born 1961) musician, keyboardist, guitarist, singer, member of New Order, founding member of The Other Two (duo), The Other Two * Andy Carthy (born 1972) known by his stage name Mr. Scruff, record producer and DJ * Phil Cunningham (rock musician), Phil Cunningham (born 1974 in Macclesfield) guitarist, member of the bands

, New Order and Bad Lieutenant (band), Bad Lieutenant * Jim Moray (born 1981) folk musician, born in Macclesfield * The Macc Lads (active 1981 – present) rock band * The Other Two (duo), The Other Two (active 1990–2011) an English dance act consisting of Stephen Morris (musician), Stephen Morris and

of New Order *

(formed in 1993) Brit-Pop band * Hatty Keane (born 1994) r&b and pop singer * The Virginmarys (formed in 2009) rock band.

TV personalities

* Michael Jackson (TV executive), Michael Richard Jackson (born 1958) is a British television producer and executive * Mr. Methane, Mr Methane (born 1963 in Macclesfield) as Paul Oldfield, the world's only currently performing flatulist * Dominic Brunt (born 1970) actor, played vet Paddy Kirk in ITV's ''Emmerdale'' * Geoff Lloyd (born 1973) radio DJ, also known as the Geoff half of Pete And Geoff; Hometime show on Absolute Radio. * Marshall Lancaster (born 1974) actor, played DC Chris Skelton in the BBC dramas ''Life on Mars'' and ''Ashes to Ashes''

Sport

* Joseph Hawcridge (1863 in Macclesfield – 1905) a rugby union footballer * Linton Hope (1863–1920) sailor, competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Meulan, France *

Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, OBE (1920–1992) track cyclist, active in the 1940s, 1950s and 1970s. * Guy Edwards (born 1942 in Macclesfield) Formula One racing driver, driver (1974-1977) * Bobbie van de Graaf (born 1944 in Macclesfield) retired Dutch rower, bronze medalist in the 1964 Summer Olympics * Chris Nicholl (born 1946) former Northern Ireland international footballer, over 600 pro appearances, coach and manager * Jonathan Agnew Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 1960) cricketer and cricket commentator * Peter Moores (cricketer), Peter Moores (born 1962) former England Cricket Coach, born and schooled in Macclesfield. * Stuart Brown (sidecarcross rider), Stuart Brown (born 1972) thirteen-time List of national sidecarcross champions, British National Sidecarcross Champion. * Steven Mellor (swimmer), Steven Mellor (born 1973) swimmer, competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics, 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona * Jamie Donaldson (born 1975) golfer, born in and plays for Wales, was raised and currently lives in the town * Sir Ben Ainslie Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 1977) Olympic gold medal-winning yachtsman, born in the town * Peter Crouch (born 1981) Burnley F.C. and England national football team, England international football player. * Vicky Jepson, association football manager * Izzy Christiansen (born 1991) English women footballer * Matthew Nottingham (born 1992) badminton player * Emily Whitlock (born 1994) a professional squash player, world No. 12 in 2017.

Twin towns

Macclesfield has no twin towns. Until 2010, Macclesfield had an informal bond with Eckernförde in Germany in the aftermath of

when the townsfolk sent aid to Eckernförde.

Freedom of the Town

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City, Freedom of the Town of Macclesfield.

Individuals

* John Askey: 9 August 2018.

Notes and references

Footnotes

Notes

Bibliography

* Beck, J. (1969). ''Tudor Cheshire''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 7 (J. J. Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council) * Bu'Lock, J. D. (1972). ''Pre-Conquest Cheshire: 383–1066''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 3 (J. J. Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council) * * * Driver, J. T. (1971). ''Cheshire in the Later Middle Ages''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 6 (J. J. Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council) * Hartwell, C., Hyde, M., Hubbard, E., Pevsner, N. (2011). ''The Buildings of England: Cheshire'' (2nd edn) (Yale University Press) () * Hewitt, H. J. (1967). ''Cheshire under the Three Edwards''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 5 (J. J. Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council) * Hodson, J. H. (1978). ''Cheshire, 1660–1780: Restoration to Industrial Revolution''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 9 (J. J. Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council) () * Husain, B. M. C. (1973). ''Cheshire under the Norman Earls: 1066–1237''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 4 (J. J. Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council) * *Tigwell, R. E. (1985). ''Cheshire in the Twentieth Century''. ''A History of Cheshire'' Vol. 12 (J. J. Bagley, ed.) (Cheshire Community Council) () {{Authority control Macclesfield, Market towns in Cheshire Towns and villages of the Peak District Towns in Cheshire