Macclesfield is an ancient Cheshire town that stands beneath the sprawling and beautiful Peak District. It is Cheshire's furthest outpost before taking the road into Derbyshire and many years ago entered the Industrial Revolution in a more genteel manner perhaps, by becoming a silk town. Here all manner of silk items were manufactured such as the narrowest ribbons and the best of silks and satins.It is the perfect place to explore Macclesfield Forest and the Cheshire Peak District but the town itself has plenty to offer including the Heritage Centre with its museums and tea room. Paul Hurley has carefully selected modern and old views to paint a nostalgic historical portrait, so enjoy this pictorial tour of the town and see what is here now and compare it to what was here many years ago.

Paul Hurley has been a freelance writer since 2002 and has been writing professionally ever since. He has had magazine, local and national newspaper credits and has written several books for Amberley on the history of Cheshire, railways and other topics. Since retiring from the police in 2002 he has amassed a CV that takes in a three-part article in the Steam World magazine, one in the Backtrack magazine and many other magazine articles not relating to the railway scene. He lives in Winsford with his wife Rose and his hobbies are writing, travel, motorcycling and classic cars.