In choosing a specific site for the mill, Greg had to consider many factors from power source to transport to workforce. Greg’s first priority was that of the availability of water power. John Hewitt said “S.G. used to describe how he rode around in the country in search of a fall of water,” which emphasizes the importance of the Bollin in Greg’s mind. Styal was the home to the essential River Bollin: The Bollin was a fast flowing river which could be easily enhanced as a power source. The river sat in a valley at Styal and so there was the potential to build a mill pond and a weir, which are both essential for water power. The power source at Styal was second to none; it had all the necessary requirements to run a mill.
The second factor Greg considered in choosing a site was the good transport links. The river wasn’t navigable and so other lines of transport needed to be in place. An extensive turnpike system therefore was essential when Greg chose his site. This system easily connected Styal with Broadheath. At Broadheath, seven miles away, was the nearest junction to the Bridgewater Canal. The Bridgewater was the first canal in the modern world and provided an all water route from Liverpool to Manchester. This route meant raw cotton could be imported from the southern states of America, shipped to Liverpool, down the Bridgewater and delivered directly to Styal. The processed cotton could then be taken to Manchester for distribution. The advantage of this is that it was simple, easy and cheap to transport materials and products in an effective and efficient way, through an extensive transport network.
At Styal itself there wasn’t a workforce. We can therefore infer that the workforce wasn’t high on Greg’s priorities. But there was an experienced workforce two miles away at Wilmslow, which Greg needed, used, and took full advantage of. Two miles away was not a problem for transporting a workforce and Wilmslow was a sufficient source of labour for a factory at Styal: Greg had to rely on Wilmslow.
The forth factor Greg considered was that of the cheapness of the land and water rights in the countryside; At Styal there was the initial inexpensiveness of the land and the possibility to expand cheaply due to the lack of demand for this area. This meant that Greg could afford to spend the money on improvement in other aspects of his mill. This could be found anywhere in the countryside and isn’t special to the site at Styal.
The fact that there was a Quarry close by was also a bonus rather than factor and didn’t influence Greg’s decision to build his mill at Styal.
Quarry Bank Mill was situated at Styal for many reasons, mostly economic. By choosing to build his mill at Styal, Samuel Greg had everything he needed to run a successful business enterprise. Most importantly Greg had the essential “fall of water” which he rode about the country in search of, described by John Hewitt in 1881. This, his first priority, made sure Greg had the paramount access to power effectively and cheaply. He could enhance the water power to power the machines his factory operated. Secondly, Styal had easy access to the Bridgewater Canal at Broadheath. The Bridgewater Canal was the first canal of the modern world and linked the two industrial towns of the north, Liverpool and Manchester. Due to this Greg had access to a transport system which he could use to import his goods from Liverpool and to distribute at Manchester. Greg needed this proximity to these key towns and port. Fourthly, at Styal Greg had access to a large experienced workforce which was close-by at Wilmslow. He needed this workforce to work in his factory and make the products which would go on to make him his fortune. Styal also had the cheap land and water rights and the bonus of a local quarry. Without the power source, north-west location and transport links, Greg would never have chosen to site his mill at Styal. At Styal, Samuel Greg had the power to regulate living and working conditions, the health of his workers, set wages and effectively compete with the Manchester Mills.
