Two Rivers Paper Company

Pitt Mill isn’t intended to be a working museum but rather an interesting example of a viable cottage industry employing historic practices and skills which are artistic, educational and environmental friendly.”

The Mill:

Two Rivers was formed in 1976 and was run and located at Pitt Mill, Somerset, UK since 1988.  It’s one of a handful of commercial hand-mills operating in Europe.  In September 2021, Two Rivers relocated its paper making production to the new East Quay Art Centre in the coastal town of Watchet.

Pitt Mill is over 400 years old and still retains much of the ancient wooden milling machinery. It’s been restored over the last 16 years to a working water-powered traditional paper mill, using a 100 year old metal wheel from Wales and an 1841 Hollander Rag-Breaker.

The wheel itself is a 10ft overshot wheel weighing two and a half tons and standing eleven foot high. In combination with the rag breaker, Two Rivers will be the only place in the UK where water power is used to make paper from old rags.  Showing a continuing commitment to manufacturing using environmentally appropriate methods, a full array of solar panels were fitted to the mill roof in 2011.