Forest Chapel, Macclesfield Forest, Cheshire, England

In the British countryside, the word "forest" can be misleading. After all, it does suggest masses of trees growing together. However, life isn't that simple and the word had a former usage as indicating hunting grounds. Macclesfield Forest was one of these and that's why the Bromley-Davenports of Capesthorne were entitled to behead poachers in former times. In fact, much of present day east Cheshire was included in this tract of hunting land but the Macclesfield Forest that you'll find nowadays is in essence a conifer plantation covering the slopes of a few hills that feed a few reservoirs. Away from these woods, you'll find the village or hamlet of Macclesfield Forest with its eastern views towards the Cat and Fiddle Inn and the valley that lies between them. Being a modest collection of houses, it gets a modest church. It's the 1834 rebuild that you'll find there today, but there's been a church on the site since 1673 to serve the scattered community living among these hills.