Searching for Northern spirit in Silk Town
My New Year’s resolution for this year was to make a better use of my precious weekends - a desk based job with a degree of stress all week, the need to get out and be more active and the inspiration from one of my blog regulars Shouting from the shed who author regularly expounds the doorstop miles and the idea of taking mini adventures in your own back yard.
A recent chat at the end of our beery podcast (maltravale), where I floated a possible trip back to Manchester, as it had been a good 18 months since we last drank our way around Cottonopolis, prompted brother to state that he would much rather have return visit to Macclesfield - the focus of our Podcast Episode 55 when we had discovered a cornucopia of great beery venues - something for every one micros, solid old antiquated and hipster new brewery taps.
A Northern trains flash sale offering stupidly low prices. (£3.40 for a day's return!) and having read good things about a newish brewery tap that the under the radar Bollington Brewery had opened and the chance being sole to include a couple of pubs that we had missed out on our previous visit including one that must have one of the best murals in the UK beer world - here’s a tease
Unfortunately a couple of the venues we had visited back in March 2024 have closed - a reflection of the perilous state of the trade - both the Wet led and treacle would have been on my must return/include list for a trip to Macc. I was very glad to see that just down from where the Wet Lad bar was on the very quaint Castle Street N Carter and Co family butchers and fine purveyors of pork pies was still hanging on - though 2 small pies for a £5 did remind me I was in Cheshire.
Much of this trip had me pondering about Northerness - I have recently read a couple of rather good books that delved into the matter. Being born in Middlesbrough and raised in rural North Yorkshire with parents from both sides of the Pennines (I know this is starting to sounds like one of those Royal Navy adds) but having spent all my working life in a what is best the North Midlands I do I often get Northern pangs and i often jumped on a train or bus to head to places like Macclesfield for Buxton to bath in what feels to me a little spiritual northern refreshment - for Buxton it's probably the trip over the moors which reminds me of the road to Whitby with Macclesfield it’s Mill chimneys, sooted bricks and steep roads up form the ancient transport channel of rail, road and Canal.
An earliest start meant I arrived at a cold and quiet Macclesfield Station despite being in quite a regal setting in its amphitheatre with the parish church leering above and a gaggle of pubs facing you across a broad approach, the actual station is a bit of a let down no Victoria splendour here, just a dour low level functional transport hub. One of its web descriptions sums it up well: it was rebuilt in the brutalist style of architecture; the beauty of the building was perceived to be its very functionality and its design follows the Modernist approach.
A little early for most of the town's bars, opening times which all appeared to be in sync with 12 o clock openings, meant only one thought was to head to Spoons. About a 10 minute walk and set on Park Green this was one of the venues we had missed in our last. Is it when we opted to go to the rather swish Red Willow Brewery tap across the road ( indeed Park Green provides a mini crawl with no or 5 bars nestled cheek by Jowell together.
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| Silk Town Spoons the former home of the towns Acquiring Useful Knowledge Society |
This is one of those interesting spoons which the company is rightly praised for the role in preserving so many of our iconic and historical buildings. Its name The Society Rooms gives a hint of its philanthropic past. Formerly the home of the Macclesfield Acquiring Useful Knowledge Society (an early version of a mechanic institute) which was established in 1850 in a building which had originally been built as the vicarage of St Micahel’s church, indeed it sits beside Parsonage Street.
The Useful Knowledge Society's aim was to teach working class men the 3Rs, it later housed a school of design and a technical school was added in 1900, it was supported by a number of Macclesfields businesses and mill owners who saw a need for a more educated workforce. Macclesfield had long served as a market town for east Cheshire, but after the first silk mill was established in 1743, it quickly industrialised into the leading English hub for silk production. By 1850, there were 169 silk companies operating, marking the peak of the town’s dominance in the industry.
Further reading suggests that Macclesfield was a hot bed of philanthropy especially based around non conformitar. At least 78 Macclesfield institutions were founded with voluntary funding in the mid to late 1800’s fell into four broad categories - religion, education, public services and public amenities. The religious institutions included 61 churches, chapels, Sunday schools, day schools and missions. This high number was generally due to the separation of various sects which resulted in a complete set of new organisations.
It’s a very nice building, and the Wetherspoons has several different eating areas. It was quite busy for an early Saturday, but when a Macclesfield Man City supporters’ club used it as a pick‑up point and a couple of coaches turned up, the pub virtually emptied. I managed to get a nice window seat which allowed me to watch the world go by and oversee the coming and going of a large carp park which again is a luxury few Spoons have. A good range of ales were on offer and after loading up with a trad breakfast - with haggis n side(It was Burns week at Spoons) I did follow with a very nice pint of Odin - a new one for me from Brightside Brewing Company from up the road in Greater Manchester. Review suggest this is generally a quite Spoons - it is a slight walk from the town centre and is certainly surrounded by a number of other beers - definitely worth a visit ad a lovely building to look around/
As it was now heading towards midday and as the opening time for most MACC bards I headed up what I would call the main high street towards the centre of town, had a general mooch about - I again had to miss out the delights of he Shamrick, Maccs Irish pub which looks lively, though ha not yet opened - I also put my nose through th door of the Bate Hall up in the central pedestrianised civic area the town’s oldest public house, dating back to the 15th century. Whilst there are some hints of heritage in the exterior I think the term insensitive refurbishment sums up the current ambience - though this may be a disservice and i do need to go in and visit on my next visit - i had a more reliable heritage pub in the cross hairs though did take a detour to cath the Cockin Treacle pub though thai again was solidly shut at 12 on a Saturday lunchtime and reports suggest that this may be permanent which is a shame with such an elegant building
Found along the winding cobbled streets of the Castle Quarter, the Castle has regularly been named the best pub in Cheshire. It certainly boasts one of the best chocolate box settings. It’s ‘What Pub’ listing builds the anticipation even more
An untouched, timeless and now rare example of an old-fashioned town pub and has been identified by CAMRA as having a nationally important historic pub interior. With whitened brick this 18th century pub tucked away on a cobbled street. It probably started life as late 18th century cottages which were subsequently remodelled. The quaint exterior belies its inner proportions, which are equally charming. There are leaded lights, moulded plaster ceilings, copper-topped tables, bell pushes dotted throughout its warren of little rooms. The star feature, however, is the wonderful hatch bar reminiscent of a traditional, bowed, shop window.
The Castle pub dates back to 1721 and has been a famed ale house for 300 years and that age means the good and great have popped in for a drink including the Beetles in one of the rear rooms -lays homage to Mac's very own music god Ian Curtis,of Joy Division.Have been in here on the last trip, when it had been extremely busy, i was hoping to catch it early and hopefully geta seta in the renowned from snug (very reminiscent of the Blue Bell front snug in York). I think I was the first customer on and had the front snug all to myself - a smaller cask offer that i had reminded form our last visit - i went for a very nice light pale Turncoat from Wheetwood. It was a very pleasant 20 minute or so sat in front of the fire reading the Cheshire CAMRA magazine which would guide me to another new venue later in the afternoon
But my next venue would require a stretch of the legs down the cobbles back to the station and along Sunderland Street then up and over the inner ring road and higher still up Brook Street - very much reminding me macc is positioned at the bottom of quite a Steep Valley with road, canal railway all squeezed together in the V. AS the sweat was starting to drip, a welcome sign and arrow directing me to the Bollington Brwery and Tap was a welcome site - tucked away down a back street this former bakery is anothe fone buuildingtaht has had a lot of love and care.
A spacious venue set out on the ground floor with brewery to the right and tnen a family room and then the tap room to the left and then an Asian street food offer up stairs. The tap room was relatively quiet on arrival but it did slowly feel up as the afternoon moved on, got to say the young lady running the bar on her own was a real star, efficient, welcoming, informative and kept all with full glasses and all in all it’s a really nice venue ~ the beer was spot really good range of cask and keg showcasing the Bollington range a few regional guests as well. Was able to mooch around the brewery part. Which was clinically clean, though didn’t appear to be much action guess they brew on the week. Spent an enjoyable hour or so sampling most of the cask a a little dissa[painting they don’t do thirds or paddles bit of a missed opportunity to keep all the lines flowing. I particularly liked the family room/area in between the bar and brewery areas - this place is definitely worth the walk up the hill (there appeared to be parking available in the surrounding streets), there was also a nice patio outdoor drinking space on the side of the tap room - the beer wasn’t bad either.
So I next headed back down Brook Street, taking time to take in views of the townscape - it’s amazing how Macc has retained much of its Victorian roofscape there ain’t many tower blocks or 70’s concrete monstrosities. I was also slowed by the cornucopia of building styles and little cobbled side streets. was heading back to Sunderland Street to visit a bar I’d seen and walked passed a number of times - and potentially the one with the best mural in the country which you see straight away when you turn the corner of Sunderland Street.
The Snow Goose Alpine bar and mural is a bit of a landmark in Macc (though there is a trail of murals and art works around the town. The town council provide a nice little guide and map https://www.macclesfield-tc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Macc-Art-Trail-updated.pdf. The snow Goose is number 6 on the trail, there are another 8 or so murals on Sunderland Street.
The Snow Goose describes itself as an eccentric café-bar, and it certainly features an eclectic mix of old furniture, beer casks, and brightly coloured cushions, among other unique details. Opened in March 2011, its theme focuses on mountains—especially the Alps. While this theme isn’t immediately evident in the downstairs bar where drinks are served, apparently the first floor offers a rolling vista of mountain photography on a flat screen TV.
Regular ales are from Storm Brewery (approximately 400m away), and others from Wincle, another local brewery. On my visit there were two wince and Storm Bosley Cloud - I have read that it acts is the unofficial tap of Storm Brewing (founded 1998) which is located just around the corner by the riverside.don’t mind a Wincle beer but feel they don’t travel well and seem to taste much better at the brewery which is well worth a visit though a little far from civilisation-I have to say this was the poorest beer of the day - slight vinegar suggested it was near its end but it was one of those where it looked ok and as usual left me with that conundrum of should i take it back or keep drinking and of course it did the later. The bar had been set high at Bollington so maybe my taste buds were just over sensitive.
With legs still aching from my yomp up and down Brook Street and the need to pick somewhere sensible to meet up with the wife and sister in law, who had decided last minute to drive out to Macclesfield. I head back around the corner to Park Green, I had suggested meeting them in the rather posh bistro style bars of Red Willow tap or Bollingtons the fountain. But whilst enjoying my earlier pint in the castle I had picked the Stockport area CAMRA newsletter and in it read about Alfred’s in Park Green being awarded a recent pub of the month award - I thought it was worth a visit..
Apparently this is Hydes brewery of Salford most southern tier house - and a great addition to what is now a bit of a beery Mecca with 4 very good bars cheek by jowl. Two cask beers were on offer in a busy bar - very open and airy - 2 beers both new to me Hopster billed as a zesty blond ale and Lowry, a premium golden ale - I plumped for the Hopster and very nice it was at a reasonable £4:25, drunk on the rather nice front patio which was catching a watery but welcome late afternoon winter sun and a pleasant 20 mins it was until the sun disappeared behind a big black cloud.
The arrival of wife and sister in law meant it was time to move some where a little warmer and a whole 10 yards down the road was the Redwillow taproom. Billed as a ‘Sensitive conversion of former shop premises with original windows, parquet flooring and a sympathetic bar top, contrasting with the modern look of the lighting’
This is a pleasant bar - hard to describe really lots of settees and bistro type Tarbell with the bar tucked away in the left hand corner - the bar=g ex shop windows do mean its nice and airy. A mix of cask and keg lines brewed in the brewery on the edge of town next to the railway - indeed they are one of the contracted beers served on the West Coast trains - Red Willow Tilting Ale. Initially, starting as a cask only brewery set up by a husband and wife team in 2010, you don’t tend to se their beers much elsewhere though they also have a sister tap over on Buxton in the former NatWest bank which is well worth a visit.
The final venue was literally next door in Bollington Brewery’s other Macc venue the Fountain, opened in 2021 in what was the former Co Op store - thinks it was actually a bathroom show from priory to conversion - this is a huge space slightly more bare bones that the Redwillow but still has some nice corners and a high table and stools in the big windows where you can watch the works go by on the ubiquitous Sunderland Street. A busy bar with a good range of well kept Bollington Beers.
All in all a grand day out and rekindled my good beer vibes about the town - great to tick a couple off new bars and the brewery is definitely worth a visit. The train is a great option three different franchises run on this line so there are usually good deals to find with trains literally every 15 mins and most of the venues visited are no more than 10-15 minutes walk from the station. There’s even a choice of three pubs directly across from the station if you need to wait for connections.
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