The Silk Museum invites visitors to its Paradise Mill on Macclesfield’s Treacle Sundays

Home to Europe’s largest collection of Jacquard silk handlooms and designated by Historic England, the Silk Museum’s Paradise Mill is open to visitors on Sunday 25 September, known around Macclesfield as Treacle Sunday.

On the last Sunday of each month, Macclesfield’s Old Butter Market, St. Michael’s Place and surrounding areas hosts the colourful Treacle Market featuring ‘over 160 stalls of unique crafts, exceptionally lovingly produced food and drink and eclectic vintage finds’. Between the endless browsing and bargaining opportunities, The Silk Museum is operating look-around tours of its incredible Paradise Mill space at 1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm and 2.30pm, with no need to book.

Lasting around 45 minutes, the tour offers a look at the incredible silk handlooms in their original setting, with the Jacquard mechanism on display a precursor to the modern digital age, having inspired both Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace in early computing methods. The looms ‘bring to life the process of silk-making’ and, through recreations of the sights and sounds of the working conditions from the time, create an immersive guest experience.

For more information and to book a guided tour on a separate date, please head to the Silk Museum website.