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Monday 19 December 2016


We wish you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year guys! Thanks for following and supporting us!



St Cuthberts Mill will be officially closing for the Christmas period from 5pm on the 22nd December. We wish you all a fabulous holiday, and normal business will be resumed on the 3rd January, 2017!

We'd also like to say a massive ''Thank you'' to artist and calligrapher Alphabition calligraphy - Tina Warren, for creating this wonderful banner for us on Saunders Waterford paper!




Wednesday 14 December 2016

David Hockney: I draw, I do - Limited edition exhibition silk screen print on Somerset Satin 300gsm paper


Photos from the book Mill 364




Did you know that it was in 1736 that hand made paper production started on the St Cuthberts site under the name Lower Wookey Mill. Here are some fantastic historical photos from St Cuthberts Mill.















Thursday 17 November 2016

Believe in Somerset Awards - Judging



The judging for the Believe in Somerset Awards was held yesterday at Charlton House Hotel. The sponsors of each award had the privilege of choosing the award winners from their category. 

Our Marketing Executive, Catherine Frood, had the pleasure of selecting the winner of the 'Teacher/Mentor of the Year' award, which St Cuthberts Mill have sponsored. The selection took much debate and discussion, as the quality of entries was overwhelming.




The winners will  be announced next week.

Monday 14 November 2016






The date for the ‘Believe in Somerset Awards’ is Thursday, Dec 8th. The ‘Teacher/Mentor of the year’, is being sponsored by St Cuthberts Mill.


Part of the St Cuthberts Mill team outside of the mill


Our Marketing Executive, Catherine Frood said

“St Cuthberts Mill has been a part of the Wells community for hundreds of years, being a cornerstone of manufacturing in Wells. Over the past few years the mill has successfully trained a number of apprentices, who now hold permanent positions within the company. In sponsoring the Believe in Somerset awards, the company recognises that the next generation of young people are crucial for the success of long standing organisations, and wishes to celebrate and congratulate the local mentors in Somerset.”

We can’t wait to attend the dinner to see who has won our sponsored category!





'Making' numbers





Did you know that every packet or pad made at St Cuthberts Mill is traceable? Those 4 mystery digits on the back of your pad, spiral, or block, will tell us exactly when that product is made. 

The making number above, when checked on our system, tells us that the paper is Bockingford HP 300gsm (140lb). The paper was made into spirals, and the last of that paper was converted into spirals on 8/11/16. All of our makings can be traced back to when they were made, and by which member of staff!



Thursday 3 November 2016


GIVEAWAY TIME! :)




All you have to do to enter is email: giveaway@stcuthbertsmill.com stating ‘Giveaway’ in the header. Please make sure to include your full name and address.  
The 5 lucky winners of this giveaway will each receive one of the following: Bockingford White HP Block (12 sheets), 300gsm(140lb), 360mm x 260mm (14’’ x 10’’). (RRP £11.88)

Deadline to enter is Monday 7th November 2016, at 12 midday.
The winners will be contacted via email after this date.

(You are providing your information to St Cuthberts Mill Ltd.)


Tuesday 25 October 2016


Looking for a new opportunity? 



We are proud to be one of the Next Generation Somerset partners. We have some exciting new roles available that will be included at the Somerset Careers and Education fair on 2nd November 2016. The event will be held at The Bath & West Showground, The Showground, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6QN. 
#NXTGEN is on the 2nd November, where you will have the chance to speak to top employers about current vacancies, training schemes and apprenticeships. Register for your free place today by clicking here:http://bit.ly/2dw84ct


Monday 17 October 2016

Historic date for St Cuthberts Mill


A huge thank you to Miles Wigfield from The Reading Room Press for this wonderful letterpress print on Somerset Newsprint grey paper. Miles was one of the many visitors who visited St Cuthberts Mill along with John Purcell on the 14th September 2016. Miles personally hand split this particular sheet himself here on site. 

This date is a monumental one for St Cuthberts Mill, as it is the official date we were joined with F.I.L.A. of Italy. Thank you to Miles for commemorating this historic date for St Cuthberts Mill.


Letterpress print by Miles Wigfield


Thursday 13 October 2016

Believe in Somerset Awards 2016




The Believe in Somerset Awards 2016 is a celebration of the people, businesses, and communities of Somerset, UK. These awards help celebrate those talented individuals, businesses and community groups who go the extra mile to promote Somerset. 

St Cuthberts Mill is proud to sponsor the Teacher / Mentor of the Year category.

Click on the link for more info:


Thursday 15 September 2016

Did you know that a Paper Machine has a 

‘Wet End’ and a ‘Dry End’?





The "wet end" of a paper machine is a general term for parts of the system that involve a slurry of fibres, fillers, and other additives. When looking at a paper machine it is easy to identify the "dry end" where a roll of paper is being formed. The rough dividing line between the wet end and the dry end is often drawn at the wet-press section, the last place in which water is pulled from the wet web of paper. 






The Dry End is the part of the paper machine where the paper is dried, surface sized, calendared and reeled.

*Photos by Martin Poynur*


PRESS RELEASE

St Cuthberts Paper Mill acquired by F.I.L.A. of Italy



St Cuthberts Paper Mill has been acquired by Fabbrica Italiana Lapis ed Affini (“F.I.L.A.”) who is based in Milan and listed on the STAR segment of the Milan Stock Exchange.

With revenues of over €275 million in 2015, F.I.L.A. has grown substantially over the  past twenty years through strategic acquisitions and operates through  14 production facilities  (of which two are in Italy) a nd 32  subsidiaries  around the  world.  F.I.L.A.  is an icon of  Italian creativity globally  through its colouring, drawing, modelling, writing and painting tools, thanks to brands such as Giotto, Tratto, Das, Dido, Pongo, Lyra, Dooms, Maimeri and Daler.

St Cuthberts Mill (SCM) operates through its "Mill” production facility in Wells in Somerset and has had a long tradition of producing some  of the world’s finest watercolour,  print and digital  papers sold internationally to a wide range of longstanding loyal customers. The Mill benefits from  an enviable reputation for the quality of its products and the integrity of its customer service levels.

The sale follows F.I.L.A.’s exclusive agreement to purchase  Canson  (a  world  leading French distributor of paper to more than 100 countries) in October this year. The sale is a logical transfer of ownership into the F.I.L.A. family where SCM will be allowed to grow and expand its activities in an environment which, in technological and product terms, is more suited than its present ownership structure.

The sale after a period of profitable growth and successful investment in new plant and equipment is viewed as in the best interests of all parties including the Mill’s employees who will relish the new expansion  challenges  they face  in the  future.

There are significant opportunities  for growth  in the business which will continue under its present senior management to export to most of the 50 countries which F.I.L.A. sells into.

SCM has expanded its sales activities in recent times in the  Far East and  United States and  remain the leading supplier of watercolour papers in the UK. F.I.L.A.’s ambition and support will permit penetration into new territories via expanded sales and diversification of the products to be manufactured within the production capabilities in Wells.

Alan Walker, SCM’s Managing Director commented:

“We welcome F.I.L.A. as the new owners of this highly successful business. The long traditions of quality and service will continue into the future to an expanded audience all aver the world. My team has worked hard and deserve the opportunity to join F.I.L.A. whose leadership credentials are demonstrated on a globol basis. We all look forward to the challenges we will face  as we expand our horizons”.

For further information or enquiries please contact:


Alan Walker
Managing  Director
St Cuthberts Mill Limited Tel office: 01749 672015
Mobile: 07800 951151

Massimo  Candela Chief Executive Officer F.I.L.A.
Tel office: 00 39 335 645 0107

14th September 2016

Tuesday 6 September 2016


RWA Open show winner
Fiona Hingston


Artwork by Fiona Hingston


St Cuthberts Mill supports the Bristol RWA Open show with a prize of  20 sheets of Saunders Watercolour paper. Local artist Fiona Hingston won this prize in 2013 for her work Collection Box. She went on to use the paper for a series of woodland drawings that saw her win the Hauser and Wirth prize at the Black Swan Open last year.

Fiona has spent many years using earth as the basis for her drawings. With the addition of  ink, charcoal and graphite she builds up layers on a paper support and draws with a knife blade and improvised tools and erasers. Scraping back, constantly refining the subject and exposing stains and imperfections over what can be long periods of time, embeds an image both in the paper and in her mind.

Watercolour paper was not something she had thought of using, but with her prize of twenty sheets she began experimenting and realized that the paper would be perfect for a series based on woodland near her home. The soft smoothness of the paper absorbed the wash of earth leaving a sepia tone when erased. The thickness of the paper also meant that it could be reworked with charcoal and coloured pencils. 

These drawings will be on show at her studio for Somerset Open Studios during September. Venue 115.






Friday 26 August 2016

Music For The Jilted Generation Art Print





Music For The Jilted Generation Art Print #Prodigy

Made in partnership with world famous Coriander Print Studios London (http://www.corianderstudio.co.uk/) the UKs oldest screenprint studios, making all prints by Damien Hirst, Tracy Emin, Sir Peter Blake. 

  • 16 colour hand separated silkscreen with protective glaze on Somerset Satin Tub Sized 410gsm paper.




Tuesday 2 August 2016

GIVEAWAY!




GIVEAWAY TIME FOLKS!
We are giving away x5 Saunders Waterford blocks! 
All you have to do to enter is email: competitions@stcuthbertsmill.com stating ‘Competition’ in the header. Please make sure to include your full name and address.
Please feel free to share this post too!
The 5 lucky winners of this competition will each receive one of the following: Saunders Waterford White NEW HP block (20 sheets), 300gsm(140lb), 260mm x 180mm (10’’X7’’). (RRP £17.40)
Deadline to enter: Monday 8th August, 2016 at 11.00am.
The winners will be contacted via email after this date.
You are providing your information to St Cuthberts Mill Ltd.

Friday 22 July 2016


The Art Academy London




THE ART ACADEMY Graduate Show 2016 brought together work by talented emerging artists from their Fine Art DiplomaFine Art Foundation & Certificate courses, which showcased a wealth of contemporary approaches and media. 

Clifford Burt and Head of Print Sue Corke


St Cuthberts Mill was proud to sponsor a paper prize for the graduate show. Along with the other judges, Clifford Burt, of RK Burt & Co chose the winning image on behalf of St Cuthberts Mill. We are delighted to announce that the winner was Seema Manchada, for her series of carborundum prints of Cranes. Congratulations Seema!



Tuesday 12 July 2016

Millford paper




Millford watercolour paper is produced by St. Cuthberts paper mill as a replacement to the old 'Whatman' paper originally used by JMW turner. Turner’s impassioned, brisk, wet in wet methods, of creating watercolours were made feasible by using heavily sized linen papers made by Whatman after 1800. Turner’s way of working required a paper that could withstand a vast amount of abuse. Millford paper is designed with such methods of working in mind.

Millford paper is cotton based and hard-sized. The unique chemistry at the wet end of the mill’s mould machine is what gives the paper its finest qualities, without the need for adding any extra elements at the size press.

The fact that Millford is ‘hard-sized’ means that water/pigments will sit for much longer on the surface than softer sized papers. This will enable the user to play around with washes for a much greater length of time to create a myriad of exciting effects.

Millford is everything Whatman was and much more!

For samples of Millford paper please email us at klintern@stcuthbertsmill.com

'Whatman is a registered trademark of GE Healthcare Companies'