Medieval Macclesfield was a small market town in Cheshire but industries, particularly button manufacturing, started to develop in the Tudor era. The town’s later wealth and rapid expansion was built on the silk industry that followed, with its first mill being built in 1743. In the first half of the nineteenth century Macclesfield became one of the largest producers of silk in the world and the population quadrupled in the first fifty years, over half of whom were employed in the silk industry, there being nearly 100 mills in the town. Alongside the mills, large numbers of houses, schools, churches and other institutions were built to accommodate this growth, many of which remain today. Although silk manufacturing declined, other industries developed which have left their mark, including the bread maker Hovis. The town has continued to evolve, reflected in new buildings and repurposed old ones.

Macclesfield in 50 Buildings explores the history of this town in Cheshire through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in Macclesfield or who have an interest in the area.