Explore Quarry Bank with HistoryScapes

HistoryScapes is a GPS-based app that takes you on a journey back in time, stepping into the shoes of a child apprentice in 1823. From 17 January 2025, you can explore Quarry Bank through this unique mobile storytelling experience.

Join child apprentice Frank Scott and explore the world of Quarry Bank during the industrial revolution.

Set during the Industrial Revolution, HistoryScapes delves into several fascinating themes:

Cotton mills such as Quarry Bank are transforming the country, creating new industrial landscapes and new ways of working based on the factory system. At 16, Frank Scott has been swept up in these changes. As one of the mill’s apprentices, poor children sent from England’s workhouses, Frank has a roof over his head and he’s learning a trade - but there's no pay, the hours are long, and he must remain an apprentice until he’s 21.

Today, Frank has a special job, taking a new arrival on a tour of the property. Join him and discover what life was like for the children of the mill in the early nineteenth century.

Using the HistoryScapes app is easy:

1. Download the app: Head to your app store and download the HistoryScapes app, or scan the QR codes at Visitor Reception. It is advised to download the app on your home Wi-Fi before your visit, as you there is no public Wi-Fi at Quarry Bank. You can download the app from the Google store here* and from the Apple store here*. Once the trail is downloaded onto your phone, there is no further network connectivity required.
2. Begin the trail: Head to the Mill Yard at Quarry Bank (What3Words: ///riverside.animate.drummers). Launch the app, tap start, and listen to the prologue to begin your journey.

3. Explore Quarry Bank: The app features a self-guided trail around Quarry Bank. Use the on-screen map to navigate, and the app will automatically notify you when you reach each information point.

4. Immerse yourself: Join Frank as a child apprentice on a ‘secret’ tour of Quarry Bank.

We’re excited to share this new way of experiencing Quarry Bank and would love to hear your thoughts. Your feedback will help us improve the app and enhance access to heritage and nature for everyone. There is a brief online survey available on the app.

You can find out more information about HistoryScapes here*.

*By clicking this link, you’ll enter a third-party operator’s website. Please see their separate privacy policy on how they handle your data.