Geography

Quarry Bank Mill was so successful because Samuel Greg was clever enough to find a stream where the water could flow fast enough to turn his water wheel.  Greg went out in the Manchester countryside in search for the perfect place to build his mill.  It was in 1783 that he found what he was looking for.  On the river Bollin, at Styal, he found a place where he could build a long headrace channel which would turn a large water wheel very fast and  provide power for all the machines in his mill.