West Park Museum

Closed to the public pending proposed building works. No reopening date has been confirmed.

Most of the museum’s collection, including the Egyptology artefacts and works by Macclesfield born artist Charles Tunnicliffe, have now been relocated to the Silk Museum on Park Lane.

West Park Museum Macclesfield is a hidden gem located in the town’s West Park, one of England’s first public parks when it opened in 1854.

The museum was donated by Marianne Brocklehurst and her brother, Peter Pownall Brocklehurst “for the education, refinement and pleasure of the people for all time to come”, and it has been open since 1898. The Brocklehurst family were very important to Macclesfield, having begun a button making business in the town in the 18th century. In the 19th century they moved into silk weaving, and Brocklehurst Mill became the largest silk weaving mill in England.

The museum hosted a fascinating collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities acquired by Marianne Brocklehurst during her trips to Egypt. It featured items from Marianne’s adventures through extracts from the illustrated diary she kept during her first visit to Egypt. It also has an extensive collection of the work of Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe (1901-1979), who was born in Langley near Macclesfield. His artistic education began at the Macclesfield School of Art in 1916, and he later won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London.

Tunnicliffe went on to become a popular illustrator of books and much of his work featured the scenery and wildlife of the Cheshire countryside surrounding Macclesfield. He became a major contributor to the RSPB, producing many of the front covers for Bird Notes and numerous Christmas and greetings cards, and exhibited frequently at the Royal Academy.