| Product: |
Quarry Bank Mill & Styal Country Park |
| Date: |
23.09.02 (945 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Superb attraction, loads to do, interesting machinery
Disadvantages: too much for one day, not cheap
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 the traffic lights turn right. The entrance is about 1.2 miles down the road. Its well sign posted once you get near. The road is a called Hollin Lane (B5166).
On arrival at Quarry Bank Mill you might become confused as the mill is not visible from the car park and it is only as you walk down the path into the valley that the mill can be seen.
The Mill was built in 1784 by Samuel Greg on the river Bollin which was dammed up allowing the water to be used to power the mill. I has the most powerful water wheel of its kind in Europe.
Used to spin cotton originally, the mill contains several working exhibitions and several working models of the machines & water wheels which will keep kids and adults amused for hours. The water wheel models kept me and my wife amused for at least 15 minutes..
Lots of the exhibits in the mill tell of days of old and how the mill was built, updated and eventually became a National Trust property as well as giving an insight into how it would have been to have lived and worked at the mill.
Some of the more interesting demonstrations are the machinery inside the mill such as the Spinning Jenny and the Looms, which can be felt as well as seen and heard. The staff that run these machines are also willing to provide information about
the job, the machinery and the mill. Some of the staff are ex-employees and know quite a bit about the mill.
The mill also has two steam engines which both work, one being a beam engine and the other a horizontal engine. If your interested in the steam engines then a visit at the weekend might be more prudent as the first time we visited was during the week and there was not body there to tell us about them. The old guy who looks after the engines has a full wealth of knowledge which he is eager to share.
Also at the mill is the Apprentice House which is about 10 minutes walk away from the mill and portrays life as an apprentice child working at the mill. The children where employed to do the tasks where an adult would be too large, like crawling under the machines o fix or retrieve items. This was usually done whilst the machine was still running. The apprentice house is charged as an extra to the ill admission price and tours can only be taken at set times through out the day. Its well worth taking a look even if its just to scare the kids!
If you plan to visit Quarry Bank mill then I would set aside at least half a day to tour around the mill as my wife and I spent about 4 hours just for the mill each time we have visited, which is twice now. The apprentice house tour takes 45 minutes and then there is Styal park to walk round if your still feeling energetic after the mill and apprentice house. There are areas around the mill in the park areas to sit and have a picnic if you want, however the mill restaurant is quite good, as is the ice cream from the Mill shop.
There is disabled access to most areas of the mill but not the apprentice house. If you are disabled then the mill has a vehicle which will deposit and collect you from the entrance.
Other things to do on the site are the Snack shop which sells superb ice cream, the restaurant, and the obligatory National Trust shop.
This is a superb day out for all ag
es and the noises and sights will keep even the biggest kids amused for hours.
Have a look at http://www.quarrybankmill.org.uk
Admission:
Adult: £5 or £6.50 with apprentice house tour
Child: £3.40 or £3.70
Parking is £2.50 which is partly refunded on entry to the mill.
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