- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Macclesfield, the old silk town
People living alone head over 35% of Macclesfield households, above the North West, so plenty of neighbours welcome company.
53,000+
people in the seven Macclesfield town wards, Central to West and Ivy (Census 2021, ONS)
35%
of Macclesfield households hold one person, above the North West’s 32% (ONS, 2021)
66%
of Macclesfield homes are owner-occupied; North West: 62% (Census 2021)
Macclesfield meets on the last Sunday
The Treacle Market, held on a Sunday towards the end of most months, is a fun way to make friends in Macclesfield, filling the town centre with stalls. Macclesfield parkrun runs in South Park every Saturday, Riverside Park was given a 2026 Green Flag, and the library on Jordangate stays open late on Mondays and Thursdays. Gofrendly helps Macclesfield women to meet, too.
Macclesfield, silk town questions
When is the Treacle Market in Macclesfield?
The Treacle Market usually fills Macclesfield town centre on a Sunday near the end of the month. The remaining 2026 dates are 25 October, 29 November and 20 December, with makers, food and drink stalls that make a relaxed outing with a friend.
Which Macclesfield green spaces hold a Green Flag?
Macclesfield Riverside Park and the Macclesfield Canal both hold 2026 Green Flag awards. South Park, home to Macclesfield parkrun, has tennis courts, play areas and a bandstand, while West Park on Prestbury Road is another green space close to the centre.
Where is Macclesfield parkrun?
Macclesfield parkrun is held in South Park on Park Vale Road every Saturday at 9am. Runners, joggers and walkers all take part, and the same Saturday faces soon become familiar, which makes it a steady way to meet people in Macclesfield.
How can I make friends in Macclesfield if I work from home?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, shows women in Macclesfield who live close at hand so you can message and arrange a midweek walk. A stroll on the canal towpath or a lunchtime coffee near the library breaks up a home-working week nicely.
Macclesfield, a Cheshire town shaped by silk
Macclesfield made its name in silk, a story told at the Silk Museum on Park Lane and in Paradise Mill next door. In its seven wards, more than 35% of homes house one person and around 66% are owner-occupied, both above the North West. A town where many people live on their own rewards anyone who keeps showing up at the same market or Saturday run, week after week.
Working from home and living solo can get lonely by midweek. The Macclesfield Canal has a 2026 Green Flag of its own and makes an easy towpath walk, South Park has tennis courts and a bandstand, and the Ian Curtis mural on Mill Street, painted by Akse in 2022, is a familiar sight in the town centre. The leisure centre on Priory Lane adds a learner pool to its 25-metre main pool for anyone easing back into swimming after a break. Places to begin:
1
The Treacle Market, usually held on a late-month Sunday.
2
South Park on Park Vale Road, home of Macclesfield parkrun.
3
Riverside Park and the Macclesfield Canal towpath.
4
Macclesfield Library on Jordangate.
5
The Silk Museum on Park Lane, open Wednesday to Saturday.
LOCAL TIP
Put the next Treacle Market in your diary and invite a neighbour.
How to
Macclesfield: four ways to meet women in town
1
Join Macclesfield parkrun in South Park at 9am on Saturday.
2
Take a guided tour of Paradise Mill with someone new.
3
Plan a canal towpath walk with Macclesfield women from Gofrendly.
4
Swim lengths at the leisure centre on Priory Lane each week.
Friends after the summer, and a month that celebrates them
Macclesfield page: from our founders and editors
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja and our editors shaped this Macclesfield page around home workers, solo households and women wanting new company after a move.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
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See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.