Quarry Bank Mill & Styal Estate

Styal, Cheshire SK9 4LA

Tel: 01625 527468

e-mail: quarrybankmill@ntrust.org.uk

website: www.quarrybankmill.org.uk

Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate once belonged to the wealthy Greg family who founded the Mill and gave the property to the National Trust. The water-powered Georgian mill still produces cotton calico, sold in the Mill Shop.

Hands-on exhibits and demonstrations show how traditional spinning and weaving was transformed through the ingenuity of early textile engineers. The most powerful working waterwheel in Europe and two mill engines help to bring the past to life through sight, sound and smell. At the Apprentice House you can discover what 'home life' was like for the pauper children who worked in the Mill in the 1830s by exploring the dormitories, kitchen, schoolroom, parlour and attic.

The adjoining garden contains traditional varieties of vegetables, fruit and herbs, as well as geese and hens. Visitors should allow at least 1.5 hours to visit the Mill. Guided tours of the House take about 45 minutes.

Styal Village was built by the Gregs to house the mill workers and is still a thriving community. There are two chapels, the school, allotment gardens and cottages. The village and the estate of farmland and woodland walks along the River Bollin provide a delightful contrast to the grandeur of the Mill.