Monument record 14907 - Site of Observatory, North of Quarry Bank House

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

An observatory is depicted on historic Ordnance Survey mapping (see sources 1 and 2) dating between 1872 and 1912. It is located at SJ 83462 83182, circa 100m to the north of Quarry Bank House. The observatory does not appear on later mapping. It is sub-rectangler in shape, orientated east-west, with the eastern end curving outwards forming an apse. It measures approximately 6.5m by 3.2m.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1909-1912, Ordnance Survey Second Revision County Series (Epoch 3) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire (Maps and Plans). SCH4361.

<3> Peter Wade, 2010-2011, In Search of Lancaster's Lost Observatory, Vol 33, p.55-59 (Article in Journal). SCH8667.

Article discussing the North West cotton empire of Samuel Greg, the centre of which was Quarry Bank Mill, Styal; also the family's keen interest in astronomy. Samuel Greg built Quarry Bank House in 1797 and was the owner of Quarry Bank Mill. The Gregs were linked by marriage to the Hodgson family, who owned Low Mill in Caton, Lancashire. John Greg, Samuel's son, was placed at Low Mill as manager. John shared Samuel's interest in astronomy and installed a purpose built observatory in the grounds of Escowbeck House. After John's death in 1882, his son, Albert, gifted the telescope to The Lancaster Corporation, and in 1892, the Greg Observatory was opened in Williamson Park, Lancaster, for use by the public. The observatory was closed in 1944 and fell into decay. In around 1960 the remains of the observatory dismantled, leaving only the foundations. The article includes a plan of the Greg Observatory and, like the observatory north of Quarry Bank House, it had an apsidal end, labelled the 'Viewing Room'.

<4> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

An observatory is also depicted on OS historic mapping just to the north of Norcliffe Hall (see CHER 14906), only 750m to the north-west of the Quarry Bank example. It is formed by a central structure, with an outer wall or boundary with maximum dimensions of circa 9.8m by 7.2m. There are striking similarities between the observatories at Norcliffe Hall and Quarry Bank, in terms of size, shape and orientation; the main difference being that the Quarry Bank example does not have an additional outer wall/boundary depicted. Additionally, it is curious that the Quarry Bank Mill example is only depicted on mapping up until the OS third edition map (1909-1912), and that the Norcliffe Hall example appears on the OS fourth edition map (1934-1939), but not before. Given the similarities in depiction of both observatories, along with the fact that both Quarry Bank Mill and Norcliffe Hall were both owned by the Greg family, it could be that the observatory at Quarry Bank was dismantled and moved to the site north of Norcliffe Hall in the period between the OS third and fourth edition maps.