Montalt Paper Mill
Montalt or de Montalt Paper Mill, Combe Down, near Bath, Somerset.
Prprietors: Bally, Ellen and Steart. George Steart died in 1837.
The mill, built in 1805, was originally powered by a waterwheel, said at the time to be the largest in England, being 56 ft diameter, and having a 36 ft gear wheel.[1]
1808 Boulton and Watt installed a 10 HP beam engine. 19¾" cylinder, 30" stroke, cast iron beam, cast iron connecting rod. The engine was of an usual arrangement referred to as "wiggle waggle". The inner end of the beam was connected directly to the piston rod, and the outer end was mounted on the engine framing. The connecting rod was connected to the beam between the beam's centre and inner end, and worked the crank shaft which was mounted in the centre of the base frame.[2]
The mill originally produced high quality writing paper and paper for artists (including Turner[3] and Constable), as well as for bank-notes issued by provincial banks. By 1834 it was producing gutta percha. Paper-making was subsequently removed to Wookey Hole. The overshot 56 ft waterwheel was fed from a reservoir by large pipe supported on columns, two of which remain to north of building at the east end, approx 5m high, forming piers at the entrance to adjacent cottages. The site became a furniture factory in the later 19th, operated by John Whitaker. The surviving structures are Grade II listed. [4]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ [1] Boulton & Watt Steam Engines in Bristol and Bath, by Mike Bone. BIAS JOURNAL No 28 1995
- ↑ [2] University of Birmingham: MS 3147 - Boulton and Watt Collection: Bally Ellen & Steart, near Bath, 1808
- ↑ [3] Tate website: J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours
- ↑ [4] Historic England: DE MONTALT WORKS (SOUTH RANGE), SUMMER LANE