Ekki thump

Hi, This week we will be delving into the world of Ekki wood and it’s marvelous abilities in water.  Over to Power volunteer Bruce Williams for more details. Every 35 years the main sluice gates in the headrace, which control the flow of water from the mill pond to the mill, tend to deteriorate. The…

Behind closed doors….

Quarry Bank stays open to visitors throughout the winter from Wednesday – Sunday.  That doesn’t mean though, that on a Monday and Tuesday, nothing is happening inside the Mill. The historic houses use this time to carefully clean and care for their collections and despite being a very different proposition, our collection of industrial machinery and other…

Adding to the atmosphere – behind the scenes of the Quarry Bank Project

The key to why we have embarked on the Quarry Bank Project, is that it will allow us to tell more of the incredible stories about this unique place. We can’t do this alone though and we are extremely fortunate that Hannah Barker, chair of Manchester Histories and expert in the Industrial Revolution has agreed to…

Reassembly is the opposite of disassembly

Nether Alderley Mill, is a water powered corn mill, which some members of the team at Quarry Bank also help to look after. Our ongoing conservation work at Nether Alderley Mill has taken a new ‘turn’ lately. Over to volunteer Bruce Williams for more details. At Nether Alderley once the waterwheels are in action, they turn…

It’s all about you…

This week Emma brings us another update on the Quarry Bank Project.  I love working on the Quarry Bank Project; the project is so multi-faceted and it will have an impact in so many ways. In previous blog posts I have talked about the capital works, our plans for the upper garden and the glasshouse….

Voices of the Mill Workers

Hi, This week Helen our Collections and Archive Intern discovered some letters written by workers at Quarry Bank.  I could not wait to find out more, so over to Helen. Working in the archives, it can sometimes be easy to overlook the day to day experiences of the workers at the mill amongst the many…

Renovate where possible, repair where necessary

Hi, In Power Volunteer Bruce’s last blog about Nether Alderley Mill, the important restoration work was part way through and a tremendous amount of work was being done.  Bruce continues the story here. We left Nether Alderley Mill with the vertical shaft lifted out of its bearings and supported on a chain hoist, and the…

Printing block collection and a 70 piece puzzle

Hi, Museums are like icebergs, what you see is only a fraction of what is really there.  Quarry Bank is no exception and in the unassuming rooms at the back of the Mill, which house the collection and archive, are many intriguing items. The Drawn Out of Love exhibition has taught me a lot about…

Mr Holland’s Herbal Remedies

Peter Holland not only mixed with the gentry, but also showed concern for the poor. Developing a large practice in the Knutsford area, as well as working for the Leicesters at Tabley, the Stanleys at Alderly and the Egertons at Tatton, he was the family medical practioner for the Greg family and took responsibility for the medical care of the…

Countryfile and The Clock Tower

Rather excitingly, at the end of last month, Ellie Harrison, Countryfile presenter, visited Quarry Bank to film for an episode of the programme, which will air this Sunday (8 March). As it is National Apprentice Week from 9-13 March, she chatted to Quarry Bank’s Clare Brown (Machine Interpretation Supervisor) and discovered what life was like…

New Life in Quarry Bank Gardens

A few weeks ago I had a lovely morning wandering around Quarry Bank’s gardens on a tour for staff and volunteers, by Sarah Witts (below), the Head Gardener here at Quarry Bank. There certainly have been a lot of changes and huge effort has been put in, by both the garden staff and volunteers, to get…

Meet the Learning Interns

In my earlier blog post I introduced myself (Visitor Experience Intern) and the Archives/Collections Interns, Josh and Helen. But there are more friendly, new faces at Quarry Bank, as Learning Interns, Sarah, Suzanne and Laura, are working hard to give school groups and children fantastic, and of course educational, days out. I now hand over…