Welcome To Quarry Bank Mill
One of Britain's greatest industrial heritage sites, home to a complete industrial community
The early Industrial Revolution changed our world forever. At Quarry Bank you can discover a complete industrial community and experience the very different worlds of owner and worker, who lived and worked here side by side.
In 1784, monumental change was brought to the village of Styal when Samuel Greg established his cotton mill. Powered by the water of the river Bollin and the toil of the workers, the Greg family business was part of a turning point in our history.
In the mill you can discove
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One of Britain's greatest industrial heritage sites, home to a complete industrial community
The early Industrial Revolution changed our world forever. At Quarry Bank you can discover a complete industrial community and experience the very different worlds of owner and worker, who lived and worked here side by side.
In 1784, monumental change was brought to the village of Styal when Samuel Greg established his cotton mill. Powered by the water of the river Bollin and the toil of the workers, the Greg family business was part of a turning point in our history.
In the mill you can discover what it was like to work in a cotton mill. Experience heritage machinery in action and feel the floors shake beneath your feet as the spinning machines turn and the looms weave. Find out about the life and legacy of Samuel Greg, the founder of Quarry Bank, who arrived in England from Belfast as a young boy and went on to found a cotton empire. You can also discover more about the global cotton trade at the start of the Industrial Revolution and get a sense of the working conditions for the men, women and children who toiled in the mill.
You can explore the domestic life of the Greg family in their home, Quarry Bank House, and with a wander through the stunning picturesque gardens. Rising up the banks of the river valley, the gardens offer stunning views and spectacular changes through the seasons. In the restored glasshouse and kitchen garden, you can see the array of exotic fruits and vegetables that were grown for the wealthy Gregs' table.
By contrast, take a guided tour of the Apprentice House to step into the lives of the pauper children who worked in the mill. Children as young as eight years old were apprenticed at Quarry Bank, working 10 hour days in the mill and living cramped together under the control of the Apprentice House superindentents.
Stroll to Styal village along the paths used by Quarry Bank's workforce to see how many of the other workers lived. In the village hub, a permanent exhibition explores the living conditions of the workers and the growth of Styal. A unique tour of a worker's cottage offers a fascinating insight into more than 150 years of history and invites you to compare your life to those of the workers. Styal remains a thriving community today and we ask you to be mindful of our tenants' privacy.
On the estate there are acres of woodland to explore. Follow the meandering path of the river Bollin, and cross the folly bridges as you look out for an array of wildlife and beautiful views.
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