What can you tell me about life in Macclesfield?
I have the possibility of moving there and was wondering what it’s like. I’m on my own so no family things to consider, but I do enjoy a tidy pint, a nice restaurant and have always been spoiled by very easy access to top riding, both road and mtb.
Work should be taking me all over the country and I see that trains and road are ok.
Talk to me, please, if you’d be so kind.

Work should be taking me all over the country and I see that trains and road are ok.

Roads are a nightmare!!

Macc is a pain in the arse to get in & out of on a morning & again in the evening…

The Mrs is based there, and she’s always complaining about the traffic..

It’s not a bad place, some good riding to be found close by.

We did look at houses there, but ended up of here near Delamere.

IMHO we made the right choice.

Right now its overcast, bit breezy and not overly spring-like.

I’ve been here 18 months, and its pretty good. Highlights are riding-from-the-doorstep, ditto running on the fells and road riding (east for hills and west for flat). Can’t give you the lowdown on pubs / eateries yet, town centre is okay, enough supermarkets / shops etc. Day rides in dark peak are max 1hr away, ditto for lots of grit climbing if thats your bag. Only real downside is no cinema, oh and last night some scrote kicked the wing mirror off my car (it was parked at the time); hoping its a one-off. Driving in/out at commute times is generally fine, and the train is £££ but dead quick to that London, and manc airport is close by. Getting to trails / mountains further afield is pretty easy, snowdonia and the lakes are both 2hrs away.

Anything specific you need to know?

There are far nicer bits to Cheshire.
Hurdsfield IRRC is the nicer part of town, and you’re halfway up the hill to the Peaks

How would it compare to somewhere like Chester?

Funnily enough I moved from Chester to Macc. It’s smaller, the nice bits aren’t as nice as the nice bits of chester, the manky bits aren’t as manky. It has hills, Chester doesn’t. Houses cheaper over this side of the shire.

Right now its overcast, bit breezy and not overly spring-like.

It’s just started lashing down. That’s not unusual. Macc was a silk town. Mill towns are mill towns because they’re wet – helps weaving apparently.

Hurdsfield IRRC is the nicer part of town, and you’re halfway up the hill to the Peaks

Higher Hurdsfield (above the canal) is where it’s at 😀

Listen to a macc lads album- it will tell you everything you need to know!

Macc is ace, great riding, great pubs, 20 mins to manchester by train and hour and a half to london, no where near as pretentious as other parts of Cheshire, roads are as bad as anywhere else. Do it.

How would it compare to somewhere like Chester?

I work and used to live in Chester, its a dump as a town centre, the same as Macc, run down and tatty, since the romans left, theres plenty of riding in and around chester for a roadie, and plenty of good cycle shops, Delamere forest, landegla,the Clwydians etc are all just down the road.
Direct links by train to Liverpool,manchester, and london town,as well as the north wales coast.

Oh and in Chester there is a rich abundance of flats mostly newly built and empty.

I’d like living there, think it’s a great spot – but I have a young family. If I was on my own I think I’d need more going on – but of course that’s an individual choice. Depends on how valuable riding from the doorstep is v living in a city I suppose.

The Macc Lads were middle class tourists, which is appropriate for Macclesfield. It’s quite a smart area by and large.

Depends on how valuable riding from the doorstep is v living in a city I suppose.

Up until now I’ve been pretty spoilt with good riding from the doorstep.
I’ve lived in a major city with everything on the doorstep and the wilds with nothing.
I’ve just been looking at some flats in Salford Quays too. There’s what appears to be a nice one with views and roof terrace, perfect.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!
I think the main thing I want is peace and quiet. Having lived in smallish but noisy towns and large but strangely quite locations in cities I know it’s difficult.
Thanks so far, I might go for a look next week.

It used to have the reputation of ‘inbreeding’ and everyone knew everyone’s business, however times have moved on.

There is plenty of money around Macc, so the shops are quite good, plenty of good pubs (in nearby Bollington there is a pub on every corner).

Good riding nearby, hilly, canals, green, good rail links and friendly people.

I lived there for a couple of years (bought my first house there) and enjoyed my time in Macc.

Great countryside, a few decent pubs, I found my neighbours very friendly. Close enough to Manchester for shops, restaurants etc

I would happily live there again.

I’ve been here ten years now – moved from London. I like it.

It’s a strange mix of salt of the earth and new money orange ladies in Range Rover Sports. You mentioned nice beer, well there’s no shortage of that and plenty of decent pubs. Town centre has a good variety of food types and there are many many good pub food options in surrounding areas / villages.

Bollington (top end past the viaduct) is a nice spot and its where I’d head if I were in your shoes. Getting in and out by road can be a pain but I commuted to Hertfordshire twice a week for years and the drive through the Peak is just stunning first thing in the morning (unless its thick fog which is not unheard of!).

Astra Zeneca is obviously the major employer in the area.

“I’ve just been looking at some flats in Salford Quays too. There’s what appears to be a nice one with views and roof terrace, perfect.”

I’ve lived here for the last few years. It’s been good with amenities on the doorstep; except decent mountain biking of course! Though if you’re willing to drive a wee bit there are plenty of options. We’re moving though as a toddler and the 5th floor don’t mix. I’ll miss a lot of it.

Doesn’t Bollington have some weird problem with parking? A couple of colleagues live there and say it’s hand to hand fighting getting a parking spot on the street.

Beer ,sex and chips’n’gravy

macc lads great

But you told me that you loved me.

Thanks for the info, I might go for a wander this week and see what’s about.

Doesn’t Bollington have some weird problem with parking? A couple of colleagues live there and say it’s hand to hand fighting getting a parking spot on the street.

Yes. It’s a really old style mill town, with stone built cottages and fairly narrow streets, so parking could well be an issue.
The slightly larger semi detatched style properies further out towards Pott Shrigley for example will have their own driveways, so it depends on budget (as always).