Mill Trail: Become a Factory Inspector at Quarry Bank

There are so many reasons to head to Quarry Bank over the summer holidays, not least to join factory inspector Augustus Snout and his assistant Scuttle on the new family mill trail.

This new interactive story trail by witty prize-winning children’s author Philip Ardagh will transport you into the belly of an Industrial Revolution cotton mill. Watch the heritage machinery power into action and feel the floors tremor beneath your feet as you step into the boots of a factory inspector. Banish all modern-day woes as you are handed an inspection booklet to stamp along the way.

Inspecting can be hard work so take the opportunity to refuel with an ice-cream before exploring the homes of the mill owner, mill workers and apprentices. Learn more about the very different lives they led and find out what dangers the people working in the mill had to face each day.

The mill trail runs every day throughout the summer holidays from 10:30 until 16:00. Be sure to pay the Apprentice House a visit too for special family tours to see where the Quarry Bank child workers lived, ate and slept when they weren’t busy in the mill.

We love that (often harsh) historical pasts are often revealed through creative activities and that the history of one of the UK’s best-preserved (and beloved) emblems of the Industrial Revolution is brought to life through real stories of its past.

One of the most picturesque places to visit throughout the year, Quarry Bank always offers adventures of the highest order and many reasons to return. Let off steam in the gardens, run wild on the mill meadow and make music inspired by the unique rhythm of the Quarry Bank machines and the River Bollin. There are a whole host of activities to get involved in this summer.