Scottish Holiday (part 5) (the end now!)

 We’ve been back 3 weeks now and like any holiday it seemed a long time ago.  I finished off the last post by being back in England and our penultimate stay before returning home was in Wigan. Our overnight stop there was to visit Quarry Bank Mill not far from Manchester Airport, to the south of Manchester.

This is a National Trust property which shows not only the mill building but also the buildings for the child apprentices and one of the workers cottages.  There is also a school building, which is the current local school and people live in the rows of cottages (other the the one used for tours) so Styal village inhabited.  We had a timed tour of the Apprentices cottage where children as young as 8 from workhouses and orphanages were employed  the mill. The pictures below are in the wrong order as the the general room where the apprentices ate, had lessons and (if there was time after their long working day or on Sunday) recreation.

Simple dolls the girls made clothes for and below basic knitting and darning.

The apprentice’s house and below a box of their possessions and cloak (worn on Sunday to go to church)

The House Supervisors’ room. As you can see not as basic are their charges living conditions

Above is a wage cup, which has the employee’s number. below is the mill building.

Inside the cottage with the range fireplace. Below the row of cottages.

The cotton spinning machines

The bale of cotton

The weather suddenly broke towards the end of our visit there and we got absolutely soaked! Our last stop was a stay in Birmingham before making our way home.

Looking forward to another break away, which I’m sure won’t be too long in coming. Since we’ve been home a holiday in Holland next year has been booked.

A craft post will be coming soon.