Scaffolding is going up at the historic Frogmore Paper Mill, after The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £231,500 to support urgent structural repairs and stabilisation works at the internationally significant industrial heritage site.
The grant will fund the project ‘Safeguarding Frogmore Paper Mill: Urgent Stabilisation and Roof Repairs’, helping to protect key buildings that are currently at risk of irreversible deterioration from water ingress, deteriorating roofs and structural movement. Located in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Frogmore Paper Mill is widely recognised as the birthplace of mechanised paper making. The mill occupies a special place in both Britain’s industrial history and the global story of communication and print culture, and still manufactures paper today.
The project comes at a critical moment in the site’s recovery following the devastating arson attack of January 2022, which destroyed the visitor centre, exhibition galleries and offices. Staff, volunteers and supporters have worked tirelessly to restore public access, culminating in partial reopening through guided ‘Hard Hat Tours’ and special events.
The stabilisation project will create a stronger foundation for Frogmore’s long-term redevelopment plans, which include expanded visitor facilities, new exhibition galleries and enhanced learning spaces. The mill will remain open to visitors during the works wherever safely possible, and it is expected that additional areas of the site will be reopened to the public from autumn 2026.
