New paper mill at Smurfit Kappa Townsend Hook.

Sketch of the Medway at Snodland by Paul Sharp. 1964.

As Snodland Councillors, we welcome the near completion of the new Smurfit Kappa paper mill at the Townsend Hook site, not least because the state-of-the-art machinery means that Smurfit Kappa can continue to compete with rival European businesses. The new mill means that many new jobs have been created and will help to boost the local economy. The near £100m investment represents a huge commitment from Smurfit Kappa Townsend Hook.

As part of the development, Smurfit have committed to engineering works to reinforce part of the river bank and to clean ponds within the site. The new mill also meets much higher environmental standards (including lower emissions) than the old mill.

The new mill continues a long history of paper-making in Snodland. There was a mill of some sort in Snodland at the time of the Domesday Book, but the date of the inception of paper milling is unclear, although it was definitely in place by 1744 when John Hicks took possession of the Courtlodge Estate.

The name most associated with the paper trade in Snodland, is that of Charles Townsend Hook who acquired the mill in 1854, aged just 22. He continued to run the mill successfully, building the business and increasing the number of employees, until his death in 1877. Over the years, the Hook family also paid for many works in Snodland, including the building or maintenance of churches, schools, the clock tower and the Devonshire Rooms.

by David Lettington