Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The largest and longest running paper mill on the river Dour.

Monument Types

• (Former Type) PAPER MILL (First mentioned, Post Medieval to Modern - 1638 AD to 2000 AD (between))

Full description

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Buckland Mill was originally a corn mill on the River Dour. First mentioned in AD762 it was the first recorded corn mill in Britain and wasmentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as being "on the east side of the London Road and known as the Brox-Ditch Meadow". The land was owned by Dover Priory until the Dissolution of Monasteries in AD1535. It was later converted to a paper mill and was first mentioned as such in a marriage record in AD1638. (1)

Further early references to Buckland Mill appear in an old Dover Charter, No. 72, c. AD1451, which deals with the "release" of land named the " Mill Land lying in Buckland to Sir (Rev) Thomas Moys, Master of the House of God, Dover " (3). It is likely that this reference is to a corn mill but it may have some connection with the development of the paper mill in later years following the introduction of the printing press in AD1476. (2)

Buckland Mill suffered two significant fires. Following the first fire in the 1790s it was enlarged and rebuilt and included Buckland Bridge, to house the owners family. After a further fire in 1814 caused by "sheets of paper falling from the poles upon the stove in the drying room" it was rebuilt and considerably enlarged. It was then sold as " A capital freehold paper mill - having a large breast shot water wheel - supplied by a powerful stream, capable of working six vats, with presses, drying lofts -- it has a space for another water wheel and a reserved convenience for putting up a machine ". (3) However its new owner converted the mill to steam power to increase production but failed in his enterprises due to shoddy workmanship. (2) A further fire in AD1887 once again allowed expansion and the mill was taken over by Wiggins Teape who continued to produce high quality paper there until the mill closed in AD2000 when the mill was closed. (4)

Buckland Mill was the largest, once occupying around four hectares, and longest running, having had a continuous paper making history of nearly three hundred years, paper mill in the area. Most of the original site has now been cleared but a substantial amount of late C.19 buildings, including Buckland House built in AD1820 by the then owner Thomas Ingram, remain and and undergoing redevelopment for residential use by SEEDA. (1)

<1> Dover District Council, 2013, Dover District Heritage Strategy, http://discoverthedour.org/papermaking-in-dover.html (Bibliographic reference). SKE31372.

<2> Outside the Mill, 2015, Buckland Mill, Dover, Kent. Papermaking on the River Dour., http://www.bucklandmill.webspace.virginmedia.com/six_mills/buckland.htm (Website). SKE31464.

<3> Kentish Gazette (Bibliographic reference). SKE6364.

<4> Anita Luckett., Discover the Dour. (Website). SKE31469.

Sources and further reading