W. S. Hodgkinson and Co
of Wookey Hole Mill, Wells, Somerset.
1716 Company established.
1914 Manufacturers of hand made paper. Specialities: hand made account books, writing, drawing, loans, bank and printing papers. Employees 230. [1]
The Mill continued in the ownership of the Hodgkinson family into the 20th century, becoming highly profitable. In 1920 Guy Hodgkinson, the nephew of W. S. Hodgkinson, turned the mill into a private company. By 1910 the Mill's fortunes began to wane. In 1950 the company was sold to Inveresk. In 1972 the paper mill was put up for sale and ceased making paper. Production of paper was transferred to St Cuthbert's Mill. In 1973 the Madame Tussaud Group brought both the paper mill and Wookey Hole Caves and reintroduced handmade papermaking as a tourist attraction.[2]
The old paper mill buildings are now part of the Wookey Hole visitor attraction. Some paper mill machinery has been retained. Wookey Hole website.
Note: This is not the same as the nearby St. Cuthbert's Mill.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- ↑ [1] SOUTH WEST HERITAGE TRUST: Somerset Archive Catalogue: RECORDS OF ST CUTHBERT'S PAPER MILL AND WOOKEY HOLE PAPER MILL, WELLS, 1863-2002