Journey through time and celebrate Christmas with the National Trust

At Quarry Bank in Styal, visitors will have a unique opportunity to see what a Georgian Christmas was like for both the cotton mill workers and the mill-owning Greg family. From 29 November to 7 January, a series of events will chart everything from preparing for Christmas through to the festivities and the Twelfth Night celebrations.

In the Apprentice House, families can try their hand at making ‘stir up pudding’, a currant loaf treat that the apprentices would have enjoyed with a cup of tea, while in contrast, in Quarry Bank House, visitors will be greeted as guests at a slightly more decadent yet still understated, Greg family festive gathering.

With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, even the mill owners’ celebrations were somewhat subdued as more and more time was devoted to work. However, simple traditions were still observed such as the giving of small gifts to one another, as well as to staff, and the enjoyment of seasonal favourites such as King George’s Christmas pudding, mince pies and Wassail.