History of St Cuthberts Mill


History of St Cuthberts Mill














River Axe

Situated in the southwest of England, this historic paper mill has been making paper since the 1700's, taking advantage of the pure water of the River Axe. The mill is on the edge of the ancient Cathedral City of Wells and is named after the local church dedicated to the 7th century saint. The St Cuthberts Cross illustrated on all the mill's artists papers is inspired by the cross found on St Cuthbert's tomb in Durham Cathedral.

Nearly four hundred years ago papermaking started in the Axe valley at Wookey Hole. It is now over two hundred years - the date cannot be precise - since papermaking started on the St Cuthberts site in Somerset. St Cuthberts Mill is the only surviving commercial papermill out of the six once operating in the upper Axe valley.

 


St Cuthberts Mill - Taken from a sample book dating 1880

 
 

1736

Hand made paper production started on the St Cuthberts site under the name Lower Wookey Mill

 

1835

First paper making machine installed

 

1862

The mill is renamed to Mendip Mill after the local hills

 

1887

The mill is renamed again to St Cuthberts Mill, after the parish of the local church in which the mill resides

 

1850

Present frontage of the mill is built using local stone

 

1897

Office building built

 

1899

Somerset watermark first used for writing paper

 

1907

Cylinder mould machine (still used to make artist papers) originally built

 

1927

St Cuthberts Mill becomes a major shareholder in Inveresk

 

1931

St Cuthberts Mill is bought by Inveresk

 

1950

Inveresk bought nearby Wookey Hole Mill (first established in 1425)

 

1952

Cylinder mould machine installed at Wookey Hole

 

1954

Current PM1 installed

 

1957

'Melamon' Resin loaded board first developed at Wookey Hole Mill

 

1959

Wookey Hole purchases the rights to produce TH Saunders (originally developed in 1920)

 

1972

Wookey Hole Mill sold (now a tourist attraction) and the mould machine
transferred to St Cuthberts Mill. Watercolour paper production now solely
made at St Cuthberts Mill (including handmade which continued until 1976)

 

1975

Bockingford rights purchased from Whatman

 

1976

Somerset traditional printmaking paper developed and launched

 

1981

Inveresk including St Cuthberts Mill is sold to Georgia Pacific and becomes GP Inveresk

 

1985

TH Saunders developed to improve the surface strength of the paper and re-named Saunders Waterford

 

1990

Inveresk is sold by Georgia Pacific to the Inveresk management in a management buyout

 

1991

£3 Million investment in PM1 for preimpregnated decorative papers

   
 

1993

Inveresk floated on the Stock Exchange

 

1999

Fine art inkjet papers developed and Somerset Enhanced launched

 

2002

Bockingford Inkjet launched

 

 2007

 Somerset Photo launced

 

St Cuthberts Mill salle 1921