Home of the ‘Silk men’, thriving art groups, beautiful countryside, Ian Curtis and cultured treacle markets, Macclesfield is a name synonymous within Cheshire East.
Many refer to Macclesfield as ‘Silk Town’ because of its famous affiliation with silk but it’s more traditional name is ‘Treacle Town’ – supposedly this name arises from an incident on Hibel Road where there was a major treacle spillage.
Since the 13th century, St Barnabas Day has been traditionally celebrated with Macclesfield’s annual Barnaby Fair which is a volunteer led festival of contemporary arts, culture and a celebration of Macclesfield’s rich and creative heritage. It’s believed the name of St Barnabas – an early Christian and later patron saint of Cyprus – was taken in recognition of the contribution Macclesfield archers and bowmen made in the Crusades.
Did you know, Macclesfield is the original home of Hovis Breadmakers? The bread first started life over 125 years ago in a mill by Macclesfield Canal which is usually referred to as ‘Hovis Mill’. As always, the main claim to fame for Macclesfield is silk, it was once the world’s BIGGEST distributor of silk with 71 silk mills operating in 1832.
The town is a stone’s throw away from neighbouring villages including Rainow and the small civil parish town of Bollington which plays host to the famous White Nancy landmark that can be seen from Macclesfield and beyond. White Nancy is an 1817 victory monument which was erected after the Battle Of Waterloo and is painted white.
Musically, we couldn’t not mention the man who will forever live in music folklore and a name that will be talked about for generations, Ian Curtis. He was born and raised in Macclesfield before he tragically took his own life but he will forever be remembered as the irreplaceable leader singer of ‘Joy Division’. Thousands of tourists and fans flock to his grave in Macclesfield Cemetery to pay their respect. The famous ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ is engraved on the headstone as a tribute to arguably his most famous track.
We love the town of Macclesfield with its thriving pub culture, amazing countryside backdrop, cobbled streets and independent stores where a hidden gem is always waiting to be found. We’ve met some amazing customers in this town and it’s easy to see why the borough was voted fifth happiest of the 273 British districts in 2008.
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