Two Rivers Paper Company

Papermaking

Papermaking

The business at Pitt Mill is dedicated to maintaining the English tradition of making the finest hand-made watercolour paper for artists.

All the papers are produced to archival standards using pure Exmoor water from the mill’s own well and speciality fibres. These are principally cotton and linen flax but other materials such as hemp, esparto, seeds, flower petals and recycled rag are used to impart special characteristics. These fibres are then beaten in water for up to four hours to develop the strength of the fibre, and are internally sized using pH neutral ‘Aquapel’.

For coloured paper, light, fast and permanent pigments are added at this stage.

The sheets are formed individually by craftsmen using traditional English hand moulds and deckles giving each sheet characteristic ragged edges and a strength that is a hallmark of European hand-made paper.

Each sheet is laid onto cloth felts unique to the mill and pressed four times to impart the gorgeous knot texture for which the mill is noted.

Surface sizing with gelatine and slow air-drying high in the rafters of the mill loft complete the process.