It was a sunny Saturday morning when we set off early to visit Quarry Bank Mill, one of the finest places to explore Britain’s industrial heritage. Quarry Bank is located on the Styal Estate in Wilmslow close to Manchester Airport and is now owned by the National Trust, further details can be found here.
After finding a parking space we walked down the long, steep path towards the ticket office. For those with mobility problems it was good to see a complimentary golf buggy service available to get around the estate. Adult admittance is a hefty £18.20 but is free of charge for National Trust members. Whilst obtaining our tickets we were offered, at no extra charge, a fixed time slot for a guided tour of the Apprentice House. The first available tour was at 2.45 p.m., almost three hours after our arrival time, but with so much else to see and do we found this acceptable.
Picking up a map, we decided to start off by taking a self guided tour around the vast cotton mill. Quarry Bank Mill was constructed in 1790 at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution for Samuel Greg. It was to become the largest cotton spinning mill in the U.K. As we explored the interior of the mill we could hear the clattering sounds of working looms still producing cotton calico, but these sounds would have been even louder when all the machines were working at once.
Staff were on hand to run the spinning mules and weaving looms to give us a feel for what life must have been like as a mill worker during the industrial revolution. The mill’s iron water wheel powered the machinery and overhead shafts above the machines were attached to the water wheel by a belt. This provided the power to operate the mill.
Finishing our tour of the mill we were ready for a short rest so we wandered over to the Mill Cafe which is on the site of the 1830’s weaving shed. The cafe had a pleasant rustic feel and after a refreshing pot of tea we were ready to continue with a walk through the gardens.
We enjoyed strolling alongside the River Bollin which meanders through the Styal Estate passing the mill pond and weir. Next, we explored the pleasure gardens where steep paths climb up from the valley floor. These ornamental gardens were created by Robert Hyde Greg in the 1860’s and contain an abundance of rare rhododendrons.
On reaching the hilltop we entered the walled garden via a gate with a sign requesting it to be kept closed to deter rabbits from entering and eating the crops. This working garden was brimming full of vegetables.
A few minutes before the designated time we assembled outside the garden of the Apprentice House, waiting until our tour guide in period costume rang a large bell welcoming us into the garden. After a short introduction we were escorted into the old school room with its oak tables set out with slates and chalk ready for a lesson. Our informative guide explained that the Apprentice House was built to house the pauper children who worked in the mill.
Children could start work at the age of 7 but at Quarry Mill the starting age was usually 9 or 10. Apprenticeships continued until 18 but some girls were kept on until they were 21. We learnt that the day started at 6.00 a.m. with work before breakfast at 8.30 a.m. Breakfast consisted of porridge so thick that it could be eaten in their hands. Work then resumed until lunchtime, when the children could eat and rest for one hour before continuing their unskilled duties.
Apprentice work involved doffing the bobbins, moving full drums of cotton from the carding machines and replacing them with empty ones. More hazardous tasks involved piecing – following the moving carriage of the spinning mule, fixing broken threads and cleaning the machine whilst risking getting crushed by the machinery. The children did not receive any wages but were paid 1d per hour for any overtime worked. Their earnings were kept for them so that they had some savings when they started adult life.
After work they completed chores working in the garden and received a basic education three times a week. Girls were also taught basic housekeeping skills such as sewing and cooking. Although life was hard for the children they were treated better than in other mills, were well fed and received medical attention.
After leaving the Apprentice House we had a little look in the National Trust shop where we found lots of beautiful gifts to tempt us. We then returned up the steep slope to the car park to return home after a very interesting day at Quarry Bank Mill.
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An interesting post, I used to live close to Style – in Heald Green, which is near the airport where I worked in 1970, before moving to Congleton. .
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I’ve been here! Although I’ve lived abroad most of my life, and my home base is Oxfordshire, I was born in Cheshire. Thank you for conjuring up fond memories! 🙂
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It’s a pleasure, thank you for your interest in my blog.
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Interesting history here. When we were in the Sheffield area in 2017, our friends asked us what there was to do and see within 50 miles of our home. We came up with a few things, but could not even come close to what there is to do and see withing 50 miles of their place and how much history there was.
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Thank you for taking an interest in this post. Quarry Bank Mill is such an interesting place to visit.
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Reblogged this on Wag 'n Bietjie.
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Fascinating! And once again, thorough information and great photos. Although we live in the states, we’ve been to England and are planning another trip soon. Your blog has inspired us to visit places we might otherwise overlook. Thanks, again!
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So lovely to read your inspiring comments. Just let me know anytime if you need any extra information.
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It looks lovely, but for those who lived in those times it was an underpaid labour and polluted atmosphere to work in. However it was an economic shot in the arm that began UK dominance of the world for a time through economic and military power. Another enjoyable tour.
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Thank you Ian for your inspiring thoughts of which I agree. We are National Trust members which offers excellent value as you only need to visit about three properties each year to cover the membership.
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It looks like a nice estate. I’d like to be there when the rhododendrons are in bloom. 🙂 🙂
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Yes, it must be even more beautiful then Jo.
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Wow! You just brought us to this lovely place the way you write this post. And your photos are wonderful. There’s so much symmetry going on.
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Thank you Demi for your inspiring thoughts. It’s great to read that you have enjoyed this post.
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Lovely place to visit Marion. So nice and English but high entry charge I agree.
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Thanks Sue. We are actually members of the National Trust which offers good value if you visit a few places each each. Otherwise its an expensive day out for a family trip but very educational and the huge mill complex will cost a fortune to maintain.
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Ah I know that membership. It’s a good deal. Thanks M.
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A great look at your day we went here on a School trip when I was 15. Looking forward to heading back soon with our national trust membership x
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We are also members of the National Trust which offers great value. Going to Quarry Bank alone covers more than half of an annual membership. Thank you for taking an interest in this post.
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It’s so worth it been a member. We’ve already paid for ours over the summer and we went to the Lake District to visit Beatrix potters house. As a family of five some of the locations were £40 a day if we weren’t members. Xx
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I haven’t visited any of the NT locations in the Lake District yet but hopefully I’ll get to it soon.
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The only one that was really disappointing which I wouldn’t recommend wasting time on was Wray castle it was weird. Soft play in one of the rooms, a snooker table in the other and it went on like this. It took us longer to get there than the time we actually stayed x
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I enjoyed this post, particularly as I’ve been visiting New England towns that were once small, prosperous hubs of industry and are trying to revive themselves or stay afloat in this post-Industrial-revolution era. You might enjoy reading what I’ve posted about Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, Vermont, two places in that boat.
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Thank you for your interesting thoughts on my post. I’ll definitely take a look at your Vermont posts as I would very much like to visit New England sometime in the future.
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I loved visiting this place. The garden is so beautiful especially during summer time.
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Quarry Bank Mill is a really interesting place to visit both for its history and for its gardens. I’m glad you enjoyed it too.
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I saw this signposted on a way back from a gig last night and I said I wanted to visit it one day! After seeing it now, I definitely do!
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I think you would enjoy a visit to Quarry Bank Mill. Hope the gig was good.
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Imagine having to send your little kids off to work so they could be fed!
Oh, the noise in the mill would have been deafening. All it takes is a peak at “the good old days” to see how good we have it now. So grateful to the advances of organized labour, for saving us from those conditions.
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Indeed, we are so fortunate nowadays to not have to work in those conditions.
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That looks fab – I wish I had had time to visit last week when I was in Wilmslow! 🙂
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Hopefully you will have an opportunity to visit on a different day Lana. Wilmslow and Alderley Edge are both nice places too.
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A fascinating look at what at one time was an enormous industry. It’s great that you got to see so much of the original machinery still operating. Is it still powered by the wheel? Thanks.
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The water wheel is still running Brad but I don’t think it powers the machinery. Thanks for taking an interest in my post.
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Not surprising. It’s an enormous enterprise to keep all those mechanical connections, gears, reduction assemblies, etc. in operation — one needs an army of low-wage laborers! Oh, they had them. It wouldn’t be surprising if the engineering staff were the most highly paid workers on the site (and at thousands of other mills, everywhere).
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Yes, I should imagine so
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