# Stowford Paper Mill, Ivybridge, Devon. March 2014



## Collingwood (Mar 24, 2014)

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Paper making started at Stowford Mill 226 years ago, in 1787, on the same site as a corn mill, both using water from the River Erme as a source of power. Initially, paper was produced by hand, one sheet at a time from locally collected cotton rags and supplied to local customers.
Half a century later, in 1837, the first paper making machine was installed to meet increasing demand for printing and writing papers.
The arrival of the railway in Ivybridge in 1848 no doubt influenced Victorian entrepreneur John Allen’s decision to purchase the mill the following year. He set about re-building and expanding the mill, and by the mid 1860’s two larger paper machines had been installed. Over 300 people were employed, a significant percentage of the population of Ivybridge at the time.
John Allen’s influence on Ivybridge extended beyond the paper mill, including building the Methodist church, houses for the employees, and the gas works. His descendents sold the mill in 1910, a few years before the First World War, and unfortunately, the business declined until the receiver took over in 1923.
The following year, the fortunes of the mill were transformed when it became part of Portals, a larger papermaking company, which the current owners can trace links to.
The mill flourished again, and as a result of specialising in the production of security and other watermarked papers, it continued to operate long after many other similar mills closed, with several generations of the same family working there.
Paper production peaked both at Stowford Mill and in the UK in 2000, and has been in continued decline since, mainly as a result of changes in communications technology. During 2013, it was announced that production would be transferred to a larger mill in the Arjowiggins group in Scotland as part of consolidation plans to utilise excess capacity at the site, and as a result, Stowford Mill produced it’s last reel of Paper at the end of 2013.

The site is currently being de-commissioned, and stripped, before redevelopment work can begin.

I had real problems with my camera here, it took a knock a couple of weeks ago, (well fell off my tripod is a bit more accurate!), and has not been performing well since, not as sharp as it was, a lot of the pics I took wouldn't save to the SD card etc... time to send it off for a long overdue MOT!

This is a site I know quite well, having done some work in the factory 10 years ago, long before I got into exploring, and the family and I regularly take walks up the pretty Erme river which runs up the valley to the side of the site. 

Visited with DJ Flava, & Jim Jam, with a big shout out to Rob from the demo team (who live on site...be warned!), for letting us have a mooch around..


Some pics... (sorry, bit pic heavy, but there is a lot to see here!)






The very top of the site, and the old corn mill that started it all. along with the still in use, impressive railway viaduct





The Mill had it's own woodworking shop, which produced their own paper reels










Paper Machine 2 (PM2 as its known), this was the end reel, which the finished paper would be coiled on, before being straightened, and guillotined






The remains of PM2, the huge rollers inside would ensure a perfect finish, there being 7 in each machine..






Sadly, we were a bit too late to see PM3, which is now in bits outside....this area had a real 'Pyestock' feel to it!










This beast was known as the 'Hog Alligator Pit'...can only guess why!






Plenty of control panels around too







Labs, sadly empty, but the glass topped light tables were still working! Used for inspecting watermarks.






The older part of the mill, which was built in 1862 had some lovely old features, and like so many mills, the typical cast Iron pillars, arched windows, and wooden floors.....oh, and that lovely old smell!






The caged areas were used for storing pallets of finished paper.






The roof was locked and out of bounds unfortunately.
















The original Cast Iron water wheel






As much as we would have loved to climb the chimney, no ladder, and no climbing gear meant we were grounded this time..






and to finish, a quick landscape shot from the adjacent river!






Thanks for looking
C.

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## flyboys90 (Mar 24, 2014)

What a great mixture of old & new! ace report thanks for sharing.


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## krela (Mar 24, 2014)

Love that, it's fantastic. Would love to see the pics a bit bigger so I don't have to squint though! 

I hope your camera isn't too expensive to fix.


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## jammy (Mar 24, 2014)

Nice, went to Ivybridge community collage when I lived down that way many moons ago, remember the mill...


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## Collingwood (Mar 24, 2014)

krela said:


> Love that, it's fantastic. Would love to see the pics a bit bigger so I don't have to squint though!
> 
> I hope your camera isn't too expensive to fix.



There you go, bigger pics!
Still havn't sent the camera off, will get around to it!


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## krela (Mar 24, 2014)

Awesome, thank you!


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## cunningplan (Mar 24, 2014)

some great photos there, worked in the local Wiggins Teape years ago until it closed in 84, that's my type of place, thanks for posting


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## wolfism (Mar 24, 2014)

That's fascinating, especially the "Pyestock" shot, although it's sad to see another paper mill closing. The work is going to Arjo Wiggins in Aberdeen … which is the last man standing out of four mills which were working in NE Scotland a few years ago.


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