Description | Evidences of title to property. Limehouse Paperboard Mills formerly occupied a site in Narrow Street, Limehouse, on what had earlier been Limehouse Bridge Dry Dock. These deeds probably relate to this site, or possibly to land nearby [Gascoyne's map of 1703 shows this as Cook's Dock, with a "Stevens' Stayres" on the waterfront, possibly having a connection with the Edmund or Edward Stevens, shipwright, mentioned here; slightly further east, however, the same map shows "Graves' Upper Dock" and "Graves' Lower Dock" - shown on Stow's map of 1755 as "Greaves" - which may relate to the Thomas Graves or Greves, shipwright, also mentioned here].
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AdminHistory | The Limehouse Paperboard Mills were established in 1860, as paper merchants, and the first company in Britain to manufacture paperboard from waste paper. Initially, the company occupied the site of a dry dock, dating from the late 16th century, near Hough's Wharf. The Mill, which was built on the site, opened in 1912, when the company's main output was greyboard and related products and services.
The Company's expansion between the two wars included occupancy of two sites to the west of Limehouse Cut. The Mill's future, and thus its closure in 1986, was largely shaped by the widespread development in the Docklands area. Consequently, its board laminating and sheeting services moved to Bermondsey. Its merchandising business relocated to Thomas Road, E14.
Up to the point of closure, the Mill's production plant was using two steam engines, dating back to 1913 and 1924 respectively. They were enclosed and high speed, and as one drove the water in the forced lubrication machine, the other drove the drying cylinders.** The board making machine stood in a hall about 25 feet wide, 180 feet long and two stories high. The hall also housed 69 steam-heated drying cylinders.**
Closure in 1986 left an empty warehouse and factory building. The plan was to convert Hough's Wharf into luxury flats. Eventually, the warehouse was demolished, and a similar building built on the site. The mill and local buildings on the north side of Narrow Street were demolished. The company relocated from London to Essex in 1995, from where it branched out into converting services such as die-cutting and guillotining.
Sources of information: **glias.org.uk>news : 'An Impression of Limehouse Paperboard Mill' in Greater London Archaeological Society Newsletter (February 1987) http://www.limehouseboardmills.com/about.php: History of The Limehouse Paperboard Mill postscape.org.uk: Limehouse Paperboard Mills |