Conservation Area: Styal Conservation Area (069)

The special interest that justifies designation of the Styal Conservation Area derives from the following features: • An historic settlement comprising of widely dispersed farmsteads mainly located around the historic Altrincham Road. • The architectural and historic interest of the area’s buildings, including three entries of grade II* listed buildings and 33 entries of grade II listed buildings. • Surviving timber-framed buildings of cruck construction dating from the 16th century or earlier e.g. Farm Fold Cottages, no. 16 Altrincham Road. • Nucleated farmsteads w idely scattered across level agricultural land e.g. Norcliffe Farm, Cross Farm, Lode Hill Farm. • Quarry Bank Mill, an outstanding example of a late 18th century water-powered cotton spinning and weaving mill. • Industrial village developed in three phases: late 18th century conversion of farm buildings to mill workers’ cottages; circa 1800-1820 mill workers’ cottages erected by Samuel Greg; and circa 1860 mill workers’ cottages erected by Robert Hyde Greg. • Buildings associated with the industrial village e.g. Styal School, Norcliffe Chapel. • Country houses of the mill owners, Quarry Bank House (Samuel Greg) and Norcliffe Hall (Robert Hyde Greg). • River Bollin, meandering westwards from its confluence with the River Dean, modified in part to improve water-power to the mill e.g. weirs and mill pond. • Bollin Valley, steep-sided and heavily treed with a wide variety of woodland e.g. Beech, Larch, Dogwood and Alder, and in the Northern Woods specimen trees and Rhododendrons. • Historic network of lanes and paths e.g. that used by the workers between the mill and Wilmslow. • Managed National Trust estate and a designated Country Park. • Local details that collectively and individually give the Conservation Area a distinctive identity e.g. base of medieval village cross, cobbled lanes and farmyards.