Wildboarclough was formerly a township in the parish of Prestbury,[5] in 1866 Wildboarclough became a civil parish,[6] on 1 April 1981 the parish was abolished and merged with Macclesfield Forest to form "Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough".[7] In 1961 the parish had a population of 142.[8]
From the nearby summit of Shutlingsloe (506 metres (1,660 ft)), which lies just to the north-west of the village, a wide panorama of the Cheshire Plain and the Peak District can be obtained. In clear conditions the view extends as far as the Mersey Estuary and the Welsh Clwydian Hills 40 miles (64 km) to the west, and the cooling towers of the power stations on the banks of the River Trent 50 miles (80 km) to the east. Nearby is the hamlet of Saltersford. The Peak District Boundary Walk runs through the village.[9]