Quarry Bank Mill

Quarry Bank Mill is utterly beautiful, and has so much more than I expected. It is located in Wilmslow, not too far from Manchester Airport. We went for a family walk, expecting to be there for roughly one to two hours, but spent the entire morning there, as it turned out to be a glorious sunny Sunday morning.

Even though we spent a lot of time walking around Quarry Bank, we didn’t quite see everything – just covered a lot of the walking ground. You can tell a good National Trust by looking at the admission prices – obviously free for a NT member, but if you are a paying adult it will cost you £18 entry and £9 for a child. Steep.

Opening and closing times

Due to there being so much to do and see – there are various times for each individual attraction, so…

Car Park – 8am to 8pm

Estate – 8.30am to 5pm

Garden – 10.30am to 5pm

Mill – 10.30am to 5pm

Apprentice house – 11am to 4pm – you can attend a tour around the house, however there are a limited number of spaces.

Quarry Bank House and the Village Hub and Workers Cottage – are both currently closed.

Toilets – 10am to 5pm

Garden Cafe – 10.30am to 5pm

Stables Ice Cream Parlour – 10am to 5pm

Weaving Shed Restaurant – 10.30am to 4pm

Mill Shop – 10.30am to 5pm

Second Hand Book Shop – 10.30am to 5pm

Garden Shop – 12pm tp 4pm

Accessibility

In terms of accessibility, there is a massive carpark with parking available for parent and child, and blue badge holders (and if you hold that, carers are able to visit free of charge).

I advise maybe trying a front or back carrier if your child doesn’t walk, as even though there are parts that have flat paths, you will come across a lot of cobbled ground, steep and rugged paths and steps, so that will be a difficult journey if pushing a pram or buggie.

There are two areas for toilet access; in the mill yard and in the upper garden – and I will have mentioned it before, but you can always rely on NT toilet and baby changing facilities. They’re always spacious and clean, because that’s all you want, isn’t it?

The mill and apprentice house

When you get to the main area of the house and shops, you are able to watch the mill in action from the outside and inside. And being with two curious little boys, both my Dad and Rich took them inside, and somehow landed themselves in a tour around the mill and apprentice house.

The tour consisted of a short walk around the mill, with the tour guide explaining how it used to be run and what the working conditions used to be like. You also get to see a whole row of old machines in working order on this tour.

Gardens and buildings

Because there is so much to do and see here, I will just do a quick overview. Exploring the gardens is enough in itself to give here a visit, so many little quirks, from the unique trail paths to the stunning plant life.

The architecture of the buildings are phenomenal – it does make you feel like you have walked back in time.

If you wanted to, you could spend an entire day here, especially if you are a paying visitor. I would! It’s a great day for families with or without children and, not to forget, your four-legged friends!