Macclesfield

Paradise Mill in Roe Street is unique in Britain, being the only mill where silk handloom weaving survived on a factory scale. It survived until the 1980’s when it became a museum.

The Macclesfield School of Art trained designers for the silk industry. Today the Park Lane Galleries houses exhibitions exploring the properties of silk, design education, Macclesfield’s diverse industries, worker’s lives and historic machinery.

A Miss Brocklehurst opened her museum at West Park in 1897 – and its barely changed since that day.  One amusing item is the iron brank.  Iron branks were a form of punishment for nagging women in 17th century Cheshire – an iron cage is fitted around the head with a lock on the back and a metal section to go in to the mouth to stop the tongue wagging.

Gawsworth Hall was the subject of the most famous duel in English history.  In 1712 Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton fought over the estates when both were killed.  Today the estate is well known for its open air theatre.

Nearby National Trust Hare Hill is well known for its walled and scented garden with colourful displays of azaleas and rhododendrons and its unusual sculptures.

Tegg's Nose Country Park offers tremendous views across the Cheshire Plain. Take a close look at the gritstone in the old quarry, or follow the waymarked Tegg's Trail around the park. Look out for mountain pansies in the meadows, or stop and watch for birds in the shelter of the woodland.