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).
