Macclesfield, Cheshire

Town of Macclesfield, Cheshire

Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50,688 (2001 census).  Macclesfield Town is the main settlement and administrative centre of the Borough of Macclesfield.

Macclesfield is located in the east of Cheshire, close to the borders of Derbyshire and Buxton on the western edge of the Peak District, on the River Bollin, a tributary of the River Mersey. To the west of Macclesfield lies the Cheshire Plain.  The town of Macclesfield is most famous for its once thriving silk textile industry, commemorated in the local Silk Museum.

The Domesday Book lists Macclesfield as "Maclesfeld", whilst in 1183 it was referred to as "Makeslesfeld".  It is thought that Macclesfield got its name from "Michael's field" - referring to St. Michael, as in St. Michael's church.  A person from Macclesfield is referred to as a "maxonian".

The Borough of Macclesfield covers over 200 square miles of predominantly rural land, nestling in the foothills of the southern Pennines and is home to around 150,000 people.

The area contains several sizeable towns, each with its own individual characteristics. The majority of the population live in Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford and Poynton.

The Borough is one of the most prosperous parts of the U.K. with low unemployment, a thriving economy and a well educated workforce. Much of the area is rural dotted with attractive villages located on the Cheshire Plain and the undulating hills of the Peak District National Park.

This attractive setting, quality workforce, coupled with good communications, including main line services to London, Manchester International Airport and the motorway network has attracted many leading national and international companies to locate their headquarters in the area. These include AstraZeneca, Royal London, Ilford, Ciba, Barclays Bank (Computer Division) and Cheshire Building Society.

Agriculture remains important to the life and economy of the Borough with the emphasis on dairy farming on the Cheshire Plain to the west, and hill farming on the Peak fringe to the east.

Official Town of Macclesfield, Cheshire website: www.macclesfield.gov.uk