Prestbury, Cheshire
| Prestbury | |
|---|---|
 Norman Chapel, Prestbury |
|
 Prestbury
|
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| Prestbury shown within Cheshire | |
| Population | 3,471 {2011} |
| OS grid reference | SJ904773 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MACCLESFIELD |
| Postcode district | SK10 |
| Dialling code | 01625 |
| Police | Cheshire |
| Fire | Cheshire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Prestbury is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. About 1.5 miles (3 km) north of Macclesfield, at the 2001 census, it had a population of 3,324, increasing slightly to 3,471 at the 2011 Census. Alongside fellow "Cheshire Golden Triangle" villages Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, it is one of the most sought after and expensive places to live outside London. The ecclesiastical parish is almost the same as the former Prestbury local government ward which consisted of the civil parishes of Prestbury, Adlington, and Mottram St. Andrew.
As Prestbury was initially settled by priests its name derives from Preôsta burh, which is sometimes thought to mean priests' town, but more correctly means a priests' fortified enclosure.
Prestbury lies between Macclesfield and Wilmslow, for the most part on elevated ground above the flood-prone River Bollin. The ancient Forest of Macclesfield is to the east.
There is no evidence of a settlement before Saxon times, although a cemetery nearby which had been excavated in 1808 contained pottery cremation urns and signs of sacrifice and was presumably pre-Christian.
As a result of being initially settled by priests they chose an enclosure with a defensible location on the River Bollin where there was relatively high ground close to the river on both sides so that crossing was easy. From there they could travel to all parts of a parish which was extensive, though thinly populated, in part because the countryside was wild and barren and in part because the forest was reserved for hunting.
At the time of the Norman conquest, the parish consisted of thirty-five townships:
Prestbury township was not mentioned in the Domesday Book, perhaps because information was not supplied or because Prestbury was only a church, not a manor.
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Wikipedia