Macclesfield

Macclesfield, town in Cheshire, north-western England. Macclesfield lies on the River Bollin and the Macclesfield Canal about 25 km (15 mi) south of Manchester and close to the Peak District National Park. It is an industrial town, which prospered during the 18th and 19th centuries as the centre of the English silk industry. Macclesfield continues to be associated with silk manufacture, and several of the silk mills still stand in the town. The Heritage Centre and Paradise Hill Museum are devoted to the history of silk manufacture in Macclesfield. The town's other industries include the manufacture of plastics and pharmaceuticals. Population 150,144 (2001).