Historic venues across Macclesfield opened their doors to the public on Saturday, September 13.

The annual event, organised by Macclesfield Town Council, aimed to offer visitors and residents a 'festival-like experience' where they can spend the day in town and enjoy a wide range of experiences.

I attended a selection of events on the day to speak to volunteers and visitors.

Historic venues across Macclesfield opened their doors on Saturday as part of Heritage Open Day 2025 (Credit: Hannah Cochrane)

St Paul's Church

Overlooking much of the town, this 181-year-old place of worship is instantly recognisable to most local residents.

Churchwarden Matt Cooper said: "It's important as a prominent landmark in the town to have those doors open, to show people that our church is here for them, at any point, at any time."

Having just appointed an architect to undertake a feasibility study, there are plans for an extensive refurbishment underway.

"We're looking at a full refurb of the church: reroofing, replastering, resealing, relighting, reheating."

The space itself is stunning and grandiose, with high arches and beautiful stained-glass windows – alongside the cosy-looking corner providing a space for small children.

"We're also looking at a potential reorder of the building itself so that we can become an adaptable community space," Matt continued.

"We want to be a beacon in the community."

Local resident Andrea said the picturesque view of the church's spire, backgrounded by Macclesfield Forest and morning sunlight, 'beckons' her to St Paul's.

"It fills me with a sense of peace, hope, and belonging," she said, adding that she's looking to volunteer at the church and give back to the community.

Inside St Paul's (Credit: Hannah Cochrane)

St Michael and All Angels Church

Rachel, a churchwarden, explained how the historic Town Centre building has seen many iterations over the years.

"The first church here was founded in 1278, and the Chapel was added in 1500.

When the town grew, a Georgian church was built in its place.

"In 1899, they decided to demolish the old building and build the Victorian building, which is most of what you see now."

Along with exquisite stained-glass windows, St Michael's is home to one of the finest collections of pre-Reformation alabaster memorials in the north of England.

When I asked Rachel about the importance of understanding the town's history, she told me: "To feel part of the place, I think it's important to understand its history and where it comes from."

Visitor Chris, who lives in Bollington with his family, didn't initially intend to visit St Michael's.

"We were actually just wandering around Macclesfield and someone mentioned that it was open, so we popped in."

His wife and son were reading in the kids' play area, while he and his daughter looked around the memorials.

"We don't come in many churches, so it's nice for the kids to see it."

St. Michael and All Angels Church (Credit: Hannah Cochrane)

MADS Little Theatre

Last but by no means least on my tour was MADS Little Theatre.

MADS, the Macclesfield Amateur Dramatic Society, was founded in 1947, but purchased the current building in 1965.

Notably, the building was originally a Methodist Sunday School, while it was used for soldiers during WWII.

There are currently 120 members in the theatre company, and rehearsals for plays take 6-8 weeks.

John, part of the front-of-house team, said: "MADS is a great asset to the locals, and Heritage Day gives people a chance to come and see all the things that go on behind the play – from costumes to stage to set build."

MADS costumes most of the plays they perform, hiring from the Royal Exchange and other local theatres when necessary.

The wardrobe staff said: "We can either make costumes from scratch, or we adjust the costumes we've already got."

The wardrobe space is packed with a range of costumes, from medieval gowns to modern-day military jackets.

The clothes have largely been donated or sourced from charity shops or Vinted.

The basement houses a large furniture store, especially for an amateur theatre.

Alongside a tour of the backstage facilities and dressing rooms, the main stage and seating areas are impressive.

Visitors were invited behind the scenes at MADS Theatre (Credit: Hannah Cochrane)

Having lived in Macclesfield my whole life, I was surprised at how little I knew about some of the town's most historic buildings, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to find out more.

I would highly recommend next year's events to anyone wanting to discover more about the town's impressive heritage.

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Hannah Cochrane is an MA Journalism student at the University of Salford.

You can see more of her work here - Hannah Cochrane's Portfolio.