Did You Know!
Nestled among the dramatic hills of the nearby Peak District, Macclesfield was once the biggest producer of finished silk in the world in the early 1800s, when 71 silk mills were operating in the town.
The Maxonian Charles Roe is often credited as being one of the fathers of the industrial revolution. Roe, who also built Christ Church in the town, with its distinctive tall tower, opened the first silk mill in the town.
More recently, in 1886, the town birthed the famous Hovis brand and the imposing ‘Hovis mill’ still stands today on the banks of the canal.
Many of the town’s silk mills can still be seen today, with the famous Macclesfield furniture shop Arighi Bianchi occupying a notable mill on the Silk Road in the centre of the town.
In 2008, the borough was named as the fifth happiest of 273 districts in Britain by researchers from the universities of Sheffield and Manchester.
I bet you didn't know that...or did you?
ByJonathan BlackburnDianne Bourne
- 09:37, 14 NOV 2021