Frogmore Paper Mill

Frogmore Paper Mill is the site of the world's first mechanised paper machine. Machine made paper started in 1803 in Apsley, Hertfordshire and until then only handmade paper existed. Paper is so much a part of our everyday lives we rarely give it a thought, but where would we be without it? It is one of the humankind's most important inventions for communication, education and sustainability. It's variety and uses are seemingly endless. Frogmore Paper Mill is a heritage and visitor centre on a site of historic importance and is still a working paper mill. We aim to educate in a fun and hands on way, while packing sessions with solid fact. Our philosophy is very much that children learn more when they are enjoying themselves. Sessions at Frogmore offer an introductory presentation which is far from dry; followed by hand papermaking, where every child can make their own sheet to take away; a mill tour to sample a bit of Victorian atmosphere and see a working paper machine. This enables visitors to understand paper and see how it is formed in front of their eyes. Our 1902 Fourdrinier Paper Machine is slow enough to see the forming process which is not visible in modern versions of this machine as it is still an industry standard. The three sessions provide the core, which can be combined with additional workshops from our range of curriculum linked activities. These include: weaving, letterpress, braille, fibre science, sustainable paper, the canals and Victorian life in the mills for KS1,2,3. We can cover inventions and local studies too. For KS3,4 we offer Enterprise Days and our GCSE D&T Paper sessions (papermaking, tour, printing and bookbinding). Plus we can finish off with a thinking and fun boat race on our backstream. We welcome customisation, so we can meet your curriculum requirements and also pre-visit Health and Safety checks. Paper is fascinating!