The Borough of Macclesfield is located in north-east Cheshire. It 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.

road, rail, air & sea links

airports
Manchester International Airport 25 minutes by car from Macclesfield.

Liverpool Airport 1 Hour by car from Macclesfield.

Birmingham Airport 1 Hour 30 mins by car from Macclesfield.

rail
Watersgreen, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 7JP.

Macclesfield is well served by the British Rail Intercity network with fast and frequent rail links to London and other major cities within the UK & just 30 minutes to Manchester Station.

sea
Sealink/Irish Ferries - From Holyhead – 2 hours by road from Macclesfield.

road
Macclesfield is linked to the national motorway system via the M6. London and all the major regions of the UK are easily accessible from the City.

Manchester - 18 miles
London – 184 miles
Cardiff – 180 miles
Birmingham – 71 miles
Chester – 41 miles
Edinburgh– 235 miles
Liverpool – 49 miles
Southampton – 210 miles

entertainment

theatres
Gawsworth Hall, Church Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9RN

cinemas
Cinemac, Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield, SK11 6UT

live music
Buxton Opera House, Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6XN

nightlife in nearby manchester
Manchester’s cultural mix adds up to a great range of places to eat and drink. From Michelin-style gourmet to fresh local produce at speciality markets, from stylish venues for intimate occasions to out-of-the-way places for a good, cheap meal with friends, there’s good food aplenty in Manchester. Some dining spots are a feast for the eyes as well as for the tastebuds. Here are some great places where you can look out over the Manchester skyline, take in grand historic buildings such as the former Stock Exchange, or enjoy dinner and a spot of people-watching by the lively canal-side.

shopping
Macclesfield has an array of shops and market places available including Macclesfield own Grosvenor centre also the Castle Street and Churchill Way Car Park. Market Place ( Open on Fridays).

Close to Macclesfield is the city of Manchester in Manchester they have developed several large shopping developments for those who like to spend. The Lowry Designer Outlet and The Trafford Center are the very latest new developments with over 150 designer outlets and also consisting of a very large and attractive food court and also the home of the largest multiplex cinema in the UK . Manchester has also benefited from its new refurbished city center with over 500 retail outlets including Selfridges, Marks & Spencers, Debenhams, and several quality restaurants. Manchester is located off the M56 and has excellent links with the M6, M60, M62.

sports & leisure
Macclesfield has a full range of sports and leisure facilities including:-

East Cheshire YHA Local Group - Walks, weekends, evening events etc

Macclesfield War Games Club - The Macclesfield War Games Club is a small club dedicated to playing war games of any genre.

Jodrell Bank - The Observatory is home to the Lovell Radio Telescope and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility which is operated by the University on behalf of STFC. It is a place of learning, teaching and research for the many astronomers, students and engineers who develop and use the facilities here.

Macclesfield FC - The club was formed in 1874 and play their home games at the 6,355-capacity Moss Rose stadium. Macclesfield made history when Chris Priest, a Macclesfield player, scored the final goal of the last millennium. Nicknamed The Silkmen, they are currently playing in League Two.

Peak District - The Peak District was Britain's first national park, established in April 1951. Around 38,000 people live in the Park in 125 parishes Visitors from all over the world come to the Park to find peace and tranquillity and to reconnect with the natural world. They can also find adventure, experiencing some of England’s finest climbing, caving, walking and cycling. The National Park covers 1,438 km2 (555 sq. miles) with over 2,500 km of public rights of way. The main economic activities are tourism, manufacturing, farming and quarrying.

education facilities
There are numerous excellent primary schools and high schools in the Macclesfield area. Macclesfield has at least 14 independent primary schools located in around the local area As well as 8 secondary schools and 7 colleges. Including The Kings boys school & The Kings girls school these schools have been providing excellent education for children for over 500 years.

The Macclesfield College is the largest training and education provider in the area offering a wide range of courses for full-time and part-time students. The college is currently under going major rebuild as part of the £38 million Macclesfield Learning Zone.
 

employment
Macclesfield has many large employers in and around the local area. Some of the main employers are as follows:

AstraZeneca / Pharmaceuticals
Barclays Bank/ UK IT Centre
East Cheshire NHS Trust/ Healthcare
Macclesfield Borough Council / Local Authority
Royal London / Financial Services
Altos Origin/ Software Engineering Consultancy
Cheshire Building Society/Financial Services
Ilford Photo Inkjets/paper
AMEC NNC / Project Management 

Also farming and related activities remain an important part of the Borough’s economy. The Borough Council works with the County Council and other partner agencies to promote rural recovery.