Opened in 1909, Styal station is between Manchester Airport and Wilmslow on the Manchester to Crewe line. The station is located just off the B5166 between Wilmslow and Heald Green. It’s on Station Road – 50 metres from the village’s war memorial.
Styal is home to the National Trust run Quarry Bank Mill, which is well worth a day’s visit, as well as offering great walk options in the estate. There is always a lot going on, with National Trust organising special events throughout the year. For special discounts in the restaurant, cafe and ice cream parlour for car free visitors to Quarry Bank Mill, visit the Good Journey website.
Also close to Styal Station is HMP Styal, one of the largest female prisons in the UK with over 450 inmates. In the Prison grounds is a restaurant, called ‘The Clink’; it is a fully equipped restaurant turning out high quality food, while giving offenders a chance to learn new skills and access to employment opportunities.
The village centre, five minutes on foot from the station, has a community-run café, Earlams, plus a pub and a restaurant. Styal hosts a popular annual beer festival. For those arriving at Styal station with a bicycle, the eight-mile Airport orbital Cycleway passes nearby (Orbital Cycle Route Map).
Friends of Styal Station (FOSS) is a community group working to restore the station to some of its former glory as a gateway to the village, capitalising on the restoration of regular stopping services a few years ago. Backed by Styal Village Association and Northern Rail, it organises regular events to tidy the site, do planting and generally enhance the station. Recent projects include an illustrated Styal map on the down platform, and a wildflower garden. The group has also run rail safety sessions with the local primary school, featuring Arlo the Badger. FOSS gained recognition for its work at the 2024 Cheshire Best Kept Station Awards.
We always welcome new members – please get in touch via Styalvillageassociationv2@gmail.com. The group is also on Instagram and twitter/X.
