Barracks Square, Macclesfield, England

Barracks Square or the Militia Barracks is a square Macclesfield, England that was first developed in the 1850s as a military establishment.

The need for the construction of barracks followed the raising of the 2nd Royal Cheshire Militia, recruiting in the eastern part of the county (the existing 1st Cheshire Militia was based at Chester). In October 1857 the Cheshire Quarter Sessions passed a resolution that "...barracks for the 2nd Regiment of Cheshire Militia be erected in some part of the eastern division of the county."^[1] Initially, Stockport was favoured, but a decision to purchase land in Macclesfield was made in January 1858, against the objections of the Mayor and Corporation of the town.^[2]

The barracks, consisting of married quarters, CO's quarters and the armoury were for the use of the permanent staff of the regiment.

Armoury Towers

Old photo of Permanent Staff 1868

Notes

1. "The Cheshire Quarter Sessions at Knutsford". Cheshire Observer. 24 October 1857. p. 3.
2. "Cheshire Quarter Sessions". Cheshire Observer. 9 January 1858. p. 4.

References

• Home, Robert (1978). Macclesfield as it was. Nelson, Lancashire: Hendon Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN 0-86067-032-5.
• Gosling, Norman (2002). Big Hats, Shorts and Dyb Dyb Dyb (A history of Macclesfield & Congleton District, Scouts). Stockport: Qualitech Group.
• Photo is not the Militia band, it's the ' Permanent Staff 1868 ' .. can be viewed at Chester Records Office.