We are hoping to pay a visit to The Paper Trail project at Frogmore Paper Mill in Hertfordshire which is at the very heart of the project.  Frogmore Paper Mill was the world’s first mechanised paper mill and it still houses a 117 year-old paper machine which dates back to 1895. It was at Frogmore that the world's first machine for making a continuous roll of paper was built (the birth of paper's industrial revolution).

Our trip starts from Winchester South Park & Ride and heads to Apsley, which is a  suburb of Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire.  We aim to arrive at between 10 and 10.30 and after a reviving cup of tea, coffee and biscuits, we will be given a short presentation about The Paper Trail and history of papermaking; this is followed by a demonstration of papermaking by hand and a talk about letterpress printing followed by a tour around the mill itself – seeing both the 1902 half metre wide machine, which is generally running - and the static 1.8m wide paper machine, along with a display including the mill’s fire engine. There is also an exhibition area with lots of historical information for you to look around at your own leisure. The tour and everything will normally take around 2 1/2 hours. We will lunch here from a choice of fish and chips or chicken & chips currently @ £6 per head.  We plan to leave Frogmore Paper Mill at 2.00pm  going on to Kingsbury Watermill, St Albans, for  a  look around  a timber and brick 3-storey building. The mill has a low breast shot waterwheel with all machinery, which turns for demonstration. The mill was restored in 1972, with 2 pairs of millstones, and a Museum of 18th & 19th century farm equipment. You will then just have time for a cup of tea in the Waffle Restaurant, before heading home.

For more details and to sign up for the trip – book early to avoid disappointment – contact Andy Fish.