Daily Tours: Nature, power, conservation & cotton at Quarry Bank

Stamp out boredom this summer and head to Quarry Bank for a fascinating programme of daily tours all about nature, power, conservation, and of course, cotton.

The history of the cotton industry and Industrial Revolution is deeply rooted in the North West and continues to shape the area and affect its people today. One of Britain’s greatest industrial sites, Quarry Bank offers a super family day out for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the area, while enjoying the fresh air and adventure on offer in the summer gardens.

The daily tours at Quarry Bank run throughout the whole of the summer holidays – a perfect opportunity to feed those vivid and creative minds while having fun in the outdoors.

Acquaint yourself with the extensive grounds on a nature walk through the woodland estate with a Quarry Bank ranger. A perfect opportunity to take in all of the seasonal sights and sounds of summer while spotting some of the local wildlife.

Quarry Bank houses the biggest working waterwheel in Europe. Still turning today, join a water power tour and find out more about the waterwheel and how water has been used to power Quarry Bank through the ages. The birth of steam power changed the very fabric of Quarry Bank, join a tour to find out the impact that it had on the expansion and development of the mill.

Visitors can also drop in to see conservation in action and learn how the vast collection of resources are looked after. Take a peek at all of the work that is carried out behind the scenes in maintaining and caring for the huge and valuable collection.

Tracing the cotton process, from the raw material to the finished thread, find out how 800 shirts could be made from a single bale of cotton on one of the exclusive ‘out of hours’ cotton tours. Then stop by the shop to see the Quarry Bank fabric collection, a range of 100% cotton fabrics which have been woven on one of the heritage looms in the mill.

Quarry Bank offers the perfect fabric for a fun-packed family day-out, with plenty of reasons to keep coming back for new adventures. 

Please visit the Quarry Bank website for further details including the dates and times of the various different tours on offer.