Macclesfield Forest
Macclesfield Forest was once a hunting ground for Norman kings, hunting deer, wild boar and wolves, and is just a small remnant of what’s left of the Royal Forest, which at one time stretched from Disley and the High Peak to the River Dane. Today a herd of red deer still play hide and seek amongst the trees, and the more recent reservoirs are home to a rich variety of wildfowl.
Forest Chapel
Forest Chapel sits on the edge of what is left of the forest, & is a small hamlet with the beautiful Chapel of Saint Stephen at its centre. The chapel was built in 1834 on a spot that has been a place of worship since 1673. Each year, the ancient Rush Bearing ceremony still takes place, a ritual where rushes & reeds gathered from nearby streams & marshes are laid over the floors, as has been done for many centuries.