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Macclesfield

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Template:GBthumb Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of around 50,688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area). It is the main settlement and administrative centre of the Borough of Macclesfield, and is considered to be one of the 30 wealthiest towns in Britain.

Description

Macclesfield is located on the edge of the Peak District, on the River Bollin and the Macclesfield Canal. It is most famous for its once thriving silk textile industry, commemorated in the local Silk Museum. Although "Silk Town" seems to be the preferred nickname these days, Macclesfield's traditional local nickname is "Treacle Town"—supposedly from an incident where a merchant spilt a load of treacle on Hibel Road, and the poor rushed out to scoop it off the cobbles. Another, less picturesque, reason has it that the mill-owners used to provide barrels of treacle to the un-employed weavers.

 
Macclesfield Town Hall

It is the home to famous furniture store Arighi Bianchi, local football club Macclesfield Town, AstraZeneca, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, The King's School, Macclesfield which dates from the 16th century and the King's Girls School, Macclesfield, a much more recent development; both are low-to-middle ranking public (i.e. private, fee-paying) schools (regional GCE league table). Other local High schools include Henbury High School, All Hallows, and Fallibroome High School . The fine Georgian Town Hall was designed by Francis Goodwin in 1823.

The town was the birthplace of Hovis bread. Present day industries include: pharmaceuticals, textiles, light engineering, paper and plastics.

In 2004, research was published in The Times naming Macclesfield and its borough the most boring or uncultured town in Britain. This was based on its lack of theatres, cinemas and other cultural facilities. The last remaining cinema in Macclesfield closed in 1997 . Discussions have taken place regarding the possibility of building a multiplex cinema (1), however, similar attempts to build a cinema have thus far been unsuccessful. In 2005 a temporary cinema was set up in the Heritage Centre. Called Cinemac, its first showing was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Even though it is a little on the small side the screen and projector and speakers give the proper cinema feel. In 2002 the town also featured in the national media, focussing on the work of Cheshire Constabulary pioneering the use of ASBOs to control anti-social behaviour at Thornton Square.

 
St. Michael's Church, Macclesfield

Etymology

It is thought that Macclesfield got its name from "Michael's field" - referring to St. Michael, as in St. Michael's church.

History

Macclesfield, known as Hamestan in the Domesday Book, was granted a borough charter by the Lord Edward, the future King Edward I, in 1261. There is evidence that the borough had originally been founded by Ranulf III, Earl of Chester, early in the thirteenth century. The parish church of St Michael was built in 1278.

The borough had a weekly market, and two annual fairs: the Barnaby fair, was on St Barnabas day (11 June), the other on the feast of All Saints (1 November).

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 went as far as Disley. The manor house was situated on the edge of the deer-park, on the west of the town.

In addition, the Earls of Chester had established the forest of Macclesfield, which was much larger than its present-day namesake. It was used for hunting deer, as well as pasturing sheep and cattle. By the end of the thirteenth century, large areas of the forest had been ploughed up because of the pressure of population growth. In 1356, two trees from the forest were gifted to archer William Jauderell to repair his home.

The so-called 'Macclesfield Castle' was a fortified town house built by the dukes of Buckingham in the later Middle Ages.

In the uprising of 1745, Charles Stuart and his army marched through Macclesfield as they attempted to reach London. The Mayor was forced, reluctantly, to officially welcome the Prince, and this welcome is commemorated in one of the town's famous Silk Tapestries. At one point, Macclesfield was the world's biggest producer of finished silk; now, the four Macclesfield Silk Museums display a huge range of information and products from that period. Macclesfield is perhaps the first place to have factory working. At one time the silk manufacture was home based but as machinery was introduced large sheds were built to accommodate it and the workers were expected to move into them. Paradise Mill is a working mill museum which demonstrates the art of silk weaving to the public.

Waters Green was once home to a nationally known horse market which features in the legend of the Wizard of Alderley Edge.

Macclesfield has appeared in film: it was used as the location for Sir John Mills' film So Well Remembered in 1947. Some of the locations are still recognisable, such as Hibel Road.

Twin towns

Famous residents and natives

See also

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