Visit Quarry Bank Mill.
We at ST Minibus hire recommend quarry bank mill. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world, then why not step back in time for the day and visit the beautiful Styal Estate in Wilmslow. Just 10 miles south of Manchester, this National Trust site demonstrates how industrial communities lived and worked during the 18th and 19th centuries. Quarry Bank is one of Britain’s greatest industrial heritage sites and it really encapsulates the unique atmosphere of the Industrial Revolution.
Quarry Bank is one of the best preserved textile mills of its time and the 18th century building is now a museum – complete with Europe’s most powerful working waterwheel (built between 1816 and 1820). This Grade II listed building provides an accurate idea of what life in a cotton mill was like for our ancestors – in fact the site inspired the 2013 television series ‘The Mill’.
The mill was founded in 1784 by Samuel Greg – the son of a wealthy Irish linen merchant – in the village of Styal on the River Bollin. Samuel’s business enterprise gradually grew and he acquired several other mills, which he passed down to his sons. Quarry Bank was passed down through the family and by 1939 was donated to the National Trust.
Life at the mill was tough and Quarry Bank originally employed unpaid child apprentices, a practice that carried on until 1847. A mill doctor was employed to look after the children and other workers – and this was quite rare at the time. Most of the children working here came from the workhouse – so they were willing to work at the mill as life in the workhouse was sadly much worse.
The Apprentice House at Quarry Bank Mill was built by Samuel Greg to provide housing for the child workers. This has been closely reconstructed to give visitors an idea of what the living quarters would have been like for the 19th century youngsters. You can take a tour with a costumed guide and learn about the children’s diet, education and medical care. Outside and surrounding the house was a small garden which was tended by the apprentices in the small amount of spare time they had. The garden was used for growing fruit, vegetables and herbs to supplement the poor diet they would have otherwise had.
All workers had to carry out stressful and repetitive work, usually for at least 14 hours per day for a very small wage. In order to produce cotton efficiently, the temperature had to be maintained at over 20°C and with high humidity – so the doors and windows were all tightly shut. Up until 1833 there was little ventilation in the building, which meant the workers were inhaling cotton dust all day long. This lead to an incurable lung disease called byssinosis which causes asthma type symptoms.
We Do Some Great Prices.
Being only one junction up from Manchester Airport this attraction it’s a ideal filler for when you have to vacate your hotel early. Speak to us prior and we will pick you up from the hotel take you to Quary Bank Mill and you can leave your cases on the minibus whilst you have a look around. A 8 seater minibus from central Manchester to Quarry Bank Mill can be from as little as £40 so it’s a must see when you are in Manchester.