Explore Quarry Bank's thriving industrial history

A photo of the Greg family siblings, before the war changed everything (Left to right: Madge, Bobby, Arthur, Helen, Alec) — Photo of the Greg family siblings, before the war changed everything (Left to right: Madge, Bobby, Arthur, Helen, Alec) | © Nick King

Explore one of Britain’s greatest industrial heritage sites. Step inside the giant cotton mill. Visit the homes of the workers, and child apprentices who made up this bustling community.

The cotton mill

Watch machinery in action. Feel the floors shake beneath your feet. Get a feel for what it was like for workers in the hot conditions of the mill. And discover the story of mill owner Samuel Greg.

Visitors at Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

The workforce gallery

An immersive audio-visual experience that shows you the mill through the eyes of its workforce. Please note the presentation includes loud noises and flashing lights.

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Quarry Bank House

Wander through the Georgian rooms of the mill owner's home and enter the world of Hannah and Samuel Greg. Discover Hannah’s interests in education, self-improvement and debate. Find out about her wider social life and dinner parties.

Apprentice House

Join a guided tour and discover where the child apprentices lived, ate and slept after a long day at the mill. Find out about 19th-century cures for everything from headaches to lost limbs.

Timed tickets for Apprentice House tours need to be collected from the Visitor Welcome building.

Worker’s Cottage

Explore a two-up-two-down cottage and see how the mill workers lived in a village built for them by mill owner Samuel Greg. Uncover history spanning from the 1820s through to the 1970s. Cross the cobbled streets to visit the Styal Village Hub.

Timed tickets for Worker’s Cottage tours need to be collected from the Visitor Welcome building.