Located in Styal, near Wilmslow in Cheshire and now owned by the National Trust, Quarry Bank was a complete industrial community built around a cotton mill in the Cheshire countryside. In November 2017 the mill was closed to allow refurbishment, including construction of a passenger lift to give access to the whole site for people with mobility issues. It re-opened to visitors in summer 2018.
Contractor HH Smith and Buttress Architects in Manchester were responsible for Quarry Bank Mill’s £9.4 million restoration and renovation. The whole project took close to four years and was funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund and thousands of generous donors. It is one of the biggest projects in the National Trust’s history, an important step in the conservation charity’s continuing commitment to bringing the stories of its properties to life.
One of the best-preserved textile mills of the Industrial Revolution, it was essential to keep the authentic look of the mill and that the new structure blended seamlessly into the old. Imperial Bricks was approached to provide bricks for the new lift shaft to match the existing brickwork around the lift shaft area.
Our Area Sales Manager visited the site to record the colour and size of the original bricks. We photographed the existing brickwork, then prepared sample brick boards made up in various shades so the architect could select the best match. After careful matching, 8,000 Reclamation Red Handmade bricks with a bespoke weathered finish were supplied. This is a rustic red multi brick that’s particularly suited to old Cheshire buildings and is a very popular choice for matching period properties across the North West.
The Mill at Quarry Bank was closed during the building work but the rest of the properties on the site and the grounds remained open to the public. Access to the site is shared by the visiting public, staff and construction traffic so deliveries from Imperial Bricks had to be carefully scheduled to comply with robust health and safety requirements.
Our brick matching expertise has delivered an authentic solution for the successful delivery of this heritage project.
