Bollington
The town of Bollington is located in the north west of England in the Borough of Macclesfield. Lying north of Macclesfield itself on the River Dean and the Macclesfield Canal, Bollington is in the county of Cheshire. Locals refer to Bollington as the ‘Happy Valley’. This name was given to the town by a mill owner Samuel Greg who made major social reforms and developments here in the 1800s when he gave it the German name of Goldenthal which translates as Happy Valley.
During the Middle Ages much of the Bollington area was part of the manor lands of Macclesfield which were owned by the Earl of Chester. The town itself was fairly quiet and composed of a variety of small rural communities. During the Industrial Revolution, however, Bollington, and its railway and ultimate access to the Macclesfield Canal, were a hub for local industries such as coal mining, cotton mills and stone quarrying. This area was one of the best known cotton milling centres in the country at this time in history and there were over 10 water mills in the town itself during this period.
There are plenty of things for tourists and visitors to Bollington to see and to do. The most famous monument in the town is probably the White Nancy monument which stands at the top of Kerridge Hill. Locals claim that this monument was erected to mark the successful Battle of Waterloo. White Nancy was built by a local family, the Gaskells, as a summerhouse with a seat all round its circular wall and a stone table in the centre of the room.
Walkers and cyclists can also enjoy a walk or ride along the Middlewood Way cycle path which stretches across the now defunct railway station and line in and around the town itself. There are also plenty of other opportunities for cycling, hiking and riding in and around Bollington - the canal area is particularly popular here.
A visit to the town’s Discovery Centre is also worth while. This centre is located in one of the town’s former mills, Clarence Mill, and covers the history of the town and area and the industries which were once so prevalent here. The other existing mills in the town are still there to see but most have been converted for residential or commercial use. And, every few years the town hosts the Bollington Festival which is open to residents and visitors alike. The festival usually lasts for a couple of weeks and has all kinds of activities and events.
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