While the civil
parishes of Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough were unified in 1981,
they have remained in separate CofE church parishes since 1966.
St Stephen's, Macclesfield Forest
Macclesfield Forest
is part of Rainow parish, but it still proudly retains its own local
chapel. Forest Chapel (Church of St Stephen) in Macclesfield Forest was
built in 1673, although the current building dates from 1834.
The chapel is
one of the few which maintains the tradition of an annual
Rushbearing
Ceremony which is held on the first Sunday after 12th August.
Priest-in-Charge:
Rev. Steve Rathbone
Services Held: 1st
Sunday of the month at 3:00pm.
St Saviour's, Wildboarclough
In Wildboarclough,
the church of St Saviour's is at the centre of one of the parishes in a
benefice which also includes Wincle, Bosley and North Rode. The church was
founded as a chapel in 1873 as a chapel to Macclesfield Forest.
The current church was built between 1901 and 1904 on the instructions of
the 16th Earl of Derby as part of his
general renaissance of the township and as a memorial to the safe return of
his sons from the South African war. The
church was consecrated in 1909.
Vicar:
Rev. Verena Breed
Services Held: 2nd
and 4th Sundays of the month at
10:00am.
There is also a
Methodist chapel on the boundary of the parish at Gradbach (built in 1849).
