Buttress Architects | Quarry Bank

The Quarry Bank Project aims to tell the story of the whole of the quarry bank estate for the first time by improving access, restoring and interpreting unused structures, and encouraging wider engagement through strategic masterplanning of the site.
The National Trust’s Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire, is one of the best-preserved textile mills of the Industrial Revolution; and is now a museum of the cotton industry. The main mill building is Grade II* listed and is an imposing brick building sitting on the banks of the river. The history of the mill, its workers and owners then unfolds across the 300 acre Styal Estate with the Greg family residence ‘Quarry Bank House’ and kitchen gardens, the apprentice house and workers cottages; again many of which are listed.
Quarry Bank Project

We are working with the National Trust on a number of projects which are stepping stones to achieve the ‘Quarry Bank Project’; which in turn aims to tell the whole story of the estate for the first time with access to and interpretation of all the key buildings, structures and landscapes. Our phased project includes, mill visitor route study, upper gardens, mill yard feasibility, co-ordination and Styal village properties.
Upper Gardens

As part of the wider upper gardens project, we have been involved in the restoration of a rare example of a 19th century curvilinear glasshouse.

The initial stages of the project involved the carefully dismantling of the glasshouse's damaged cast iron frame. The frame was then removed from site and taken to a workshop where, over six months, engineers carried out painstaking work to make repairs and identify missing pieces of the structure.

The new structural frame was then recast using metal recycled from old automotive parts and reassembled. More than 7,500 panes of glass were then used to fill the frame.

As well as the glasshouse, the adjoining back sheds that were once the potting area for the estate’s gardeners and the location of the boilers, have been restored. These ‘interactive potting sheds’ will allow visitors to discover the story of the people who cared for the garden.
Mill Yard Feasibility

As the visitor experience develops and the entry and orientation become more pronounced at the top of the site, some of the buildings in the mill yard currently used for shop, ticketing point, staff offices and membership could potentially become vacant. We are undertaking a feasibility study to look at the access, condition and potential use of some of the spaces and to see how they can be integrated to an improved visitor experience.

We are also undertaking a co-ordinating role for all planning and listed building consent applications for all works and landscaping projects under the umbrella of the Quarry Bank Project to ensure a consistent quality of information and programme is achieved.
Styal Village Cottages

Finally, we are supporting the National Trust to develop packages of repairs and interpretation for 13 Oak Cottages and the Styal village shop which give the wider insight to the Quarry Bank community and its story of our recent industrial past.

A sensitive restoration will be carried out to protect and retain as much of the cottage’s historic fabric as possible. For example, the cottage’s historic wallpaper will be repaired and domestic fixtures and fittings will be conserved.
Quarry Bank House

Quarry Bank house was built by Samuel Greg and his wife in the 18th century. Built close to the house, Samuel Greg and his wife wanted to be at the very heart of the business operation. The Grade II listed house represents a perfect example of social change in this period.

We have worked with the National Trust to restore the house to allow it to be opened to the public for the first time.

The policy for repair has been to use matching traditional materials, details and methods, introducing modern or new technologies only where they serve to preserve more of the original fabric in a visually non-intrusive way.

Any modern additions have been carefully considered to ensure that all primary features dating from the Greg family’s occupation have been retained, removing only those elements which are detrimental to the primary historic fabric.

Visitors to the house are now also able to explore the story of the Greg family in their home through performances, film, audio and set dressing.

Quarry Bank Project

Upper Gardens

Mill Yard Feasibility

Styal Village Cottages

Quarry Bank House