Quarry Bank Mill & Styal Country Park

Brief history.... Quarry bank mill has one of the only working water mill left in Britain. It is situated in the beautiful village of Styal, on the banks of the River Bollin The Mill was built by Samuel Greg in 1784, with the giant metal water wheel being built between 1816 and 1820. The original wheel broke in 1904 and was replaced years later by another iron wheel to make the Mill the proud owner of the last remaining working water wheel in Europe. The mill was used for the 'spinning' of cotton (and is still used for that purpose today but more for visitors to see rather than commercial use), it was soon the largest cotton producing ...  Read the complete review

Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate is a site of significant industrial importance, and has been a national trust property since 1939 when the great, great grandson of Samuel Greg, the original owner gifted it to the trust. The Mill itself is situated within a mile or two of Manchester Airport and close to the town of Macclesfield – obviously this whole area looked very different in 1784 when the mill was first opened and it was a world away from the cotton mills of Manchester. Significantly, the mill was sited on the banks of the River Bollin, and the huge Water Wheel, which finally broke in the early 1900s, was used as a source of power. The damp ...  Read the complete review

How well can you remember being 10 years old? Can you remember somewhere you visited when you were 10, somewhere you went to that has stuck in your mind and left a lasting impression with you? I know I can. I also know that if I were to revisit most of those places they would not be at all as I recall them. Our memories fade over time, and a lot of the things we think we remember were never actually there in reality at all. However, I have just found out that one place I have vivid recollections of visiting at that age is exactly how I remember it to be. I can only suppose that it was my great enjoyment that led me to remember it so clearly after 15 years, but ...  Read the complete review

I must have driven past this place every morning on the way to work for 3 years and I never knew it existed. As my wife was flicking through the pages of the National Trust Handbook, she enquired 'where?s this?' Hmm, I know where Sytal is its near to Manchester airport but where is the mill? One quick look at the A-Z of Cheshire and I suddenly realise where Quarry Bank Mill is located. For those less enlightened about the Manchester area, the Mill and Styal estate is located within a few minutes of Manchester airport. Basically you go down to the airport but carry on past the airport instead of entering. Once you reach the end of this road, at ...  Read the complete review

Quarry Bank Mill is a National Trust property which is located 2 miles south of Manchester Airport, Junctions 5 or 6 of the M56 and is well worth a visit – it is a history lesson which for once, is not boring, even for children. There is so much to learn from just on visit. Quarry Bank Mill was founded in 1784 by Samuel Greg, who at the time was a young textile merchant who chose the site for many reasons, one of which was for its location as it was near to the River Bollin and had easy access to the Bridgewater Canal, which went through Liverpool. Quarry Bank Mill was staffed by orphan children who lived in the Apprentice House, which you can see as part ...  Read the complete review