Lasswade, Westmill Road, St Leonard's Paper Mill, Interior View showing beaters

Description Lasswade, Westmill Road, St Leonard's Paper Mill, Interior View showing beaters

Date 17/6/1966

Collection Papers of Professor John R Hume, economic and industrial historian, Glasgow, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 588846

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content St Leonard's Paper Mill, Lasswade, Midlothian (Edinburgh City council area) Beaters, or Hollanders, were machines which were used to chop up the fibres used in making paper to lengths suitable for the type of paper being made. In early Scottish paper-making rags were used, but later esparto grass and wood pulp replaced them. This view shows two beaters with their oval cast iron tanks. The rollers, seen here raised from their operating position, were faced with steel knife edges which worked against a fixed bed. The tanks were filled with the fibres in suspension in water. This mill closed in 1966, and the machinery sold off. The buildings have since been demolished. The valleys of the North and South Esk in this part of Midlothian were noted for paper manufacture from the 17th century. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

External Reference H66/38/1C

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/588846

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap