A Silk Town Story

Macclesfield Silk Museums

Silk Heritage Museum–This site encompasses the history of the Silk Industry with an excellent film lasting 15 minutes and a beautiful display of costume from regency to present day. The museum is self –guided and it takes approx 40mins. to complete. We also have a large Silk Gift Shop and a café on site.   

Following the story of silk from its origins in China, along the silk route to Britain and its establishment in Macclesfield.

An award winning audio-visual presentation tells of the development of the industry in the town from the perspective of various people involved in the silk industry.

The story of silk comes to an end as we consider how silk is used in fashion.

Costumes, textiles and accessories from both the 19th and 20th centuries help to show how silk is used for some of the most important occasions in both the social calendar and family life.

Silk Industry Museum– This museum houses exhibitions exploring the properties of silk, design education, Macclesfield’s diverse textile industries, workers’ lives and historic machinery, and takes approx 45 mins - 1 hour, there is also a small silk shop at this site.

Enter the world of the student and discover how the designers and weavers were trained. Based in what was the Macclesfield School of Art the museum explores how the school worked. Investigate how silk worms are raised, we even have our own silk worms which you can see going through the different stages of growth (during summer months). Delve into the properties of silk, dyeing and weaving along with the concepts of design. Try your hand at weaving, designing and look through the microscope at silk, cotton, linen and wool to see the difference between the fibres.

New for 2011 The Jaquard Tea Room opened April 2011 the perfect place for afternoon tea.

Paradise Mill- Accommodates 26 restored Jacquard Looms on the top floor of the mill. You will be given a wonderful guided tour lasting 1 hour which demonstrates of the process of silk weaving and a taste of factory life in the 1930’s.  

Paradise' is Macclesfield's most popular attraction! The tie silk made on it's Jacquard hand looms was some of the finest ever made in Macclesfield - with up to 500 'ends' or threads per inch. Although built c. 1860, the mill was operated by Cartwright and Sheldon silk weavers from 1912 until 1981, and it is within this time period, 1930 to be exact, that the exhibitions and room settings have been set to illustrate life in Paradise Mill.

Some further points:

There are lifts/stair lifts at all of Macclesfield Silk Museums sites.  It is a short walk between the sites approx. 5-10 minutes.

West Park Museum - Local History Museum located on the outskirts of Macclesfield

West Park Museum's Collections comprise a wide range of fine and decorative art material and objects relating to local history. This includes the famous Giant Panda. The paintings date from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Local history displays include Law & Order and the life of Charles Roe, an 18th century Macclesfield entrepreneur.

The museum's collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities was acquired by Miss Marianne Brocklehurst during visits to Egypt between 1873-74, 1882-83, and 1890-91. Displays take you on a journey through life in ancient Egypt.