Introducing Limehouse Board Mill

The Company Robert Hough Ltd was established in 1860 as a paper merchant supplying companies in the UK and Europe. The Mill opened in Limehouse in 1912 recycling waste paper and board to manufacture greyboard and other selected products. In 1986 the mill was closed and board lamination and sheeting services were moved to Record Street, South East London. The company moved to Witham in Essex in 1995 and has expanded from laminating and sheeting to a wide range of converting services.

Our History

The Limehouse Paperboard Mill was the first mill in this country to make paperboard from waste paper. The mill was built on the site of a derelict late 16th century Dry Dock, the remains of which were noted in the cellars of the paper mill and Hough’s wharf. The business was established in 1912-1913 and expanded between the wars and eventually, two sites to the west of Limehouse Cut were occupied by the mill. The paper mill included a warehouse, a waste stock warehouse and a monorail. Victoria wharf was built by the Regent’s Canal and Dock Company in connection with the extension of the Regent’s Canal Dock, and was completed in 1869. The warehouse was built in 1883. Hough’s (or R.H.) wharf included a brick built riverside warehouse of 4-storeys and a single storey west bay set back from Narrow Street.

Divided into two risks with a lift and stairwell at the north end of the dividing wall, the stairwell continued for two storeys above the warehouse and housed a water tank. The warehouse had a flat roof covered by felting and was surrounded by a low parapet wall; the tower had a hipped slate roof. Dover wharf was built in 1882, it was a small 2-bay, 3-storey building on Narrow Street, of 3-bays depth with a 3-ridge roof. Two rows of cottages flanked the entrance to Limehouse Cut; the five cottages that remained on the east side at the time of the survey had been derelict for some time. The cottages on the west side had been incorporated into the mill buildings.

The Paperboard mill closed in 1986 due to the pressures of the Docklands redevelopments. The original plan was to convert Hough’s wharf into luxury flats, in the event the warehouse was demolished and a new building of similar appearance was built on the site. The mill and surrounding buildings on the north side of Narrow Street have been demolished. Video and photographic records were made by GLIAS during their recording of the building.*

Reproduced with permission from English Heritage – www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1096942 [accessed 17/09/14]

1860

Robert Hough Ltd established

The Company Robert Hough Ltd was established in 1860 as a paper merchant supplying companies in the UK and Europe.

1894

Mill Site

1910

Sidney George Hough

Sidney George Hough takes over as Managing Director and continues to do so until 1923.

1912

Mill opened in Limehouse, E14

Mill opened in Limehouse, E14, recycling waste paper and board to manufacture greyboard and other selected products.

1914

Mill Site Opening

1915

Mill (Left)
Offices (Right)

1920

Looking down Narrow Street – the mill on the left, and Hough’s Wharf on the right (Left)

Contemporary painting showing Narrow Street in 1920 (Right)

1923

Sidney Harold Hough

Sidney Harold Hough takes over as Managing Director and continues in his role for almost 50 years up until 1971.

1930

Photos of Hough’s Wharf

1971

Anthony D V Hough

Anthony D V Hough takes over as Managing Director until 2001.

1986

The mill was closed and board lamination and sheeting services were moved to Record Street, South East London.

1988

Record Street site was closed and the merchanting business was moved to Thomas Road, E14 (Robert Hough Waste paper site).

1990

Purchased the assets of Kilian Limited and renamed the company Anglia Laminated Packaging, Chelmsford.

1995

Anglia Laminated Packaging merged with Limehouse Board Mills and moved to our current location in Crittall Road, Witham, Essex.

1998

Purchased Forest Boxes Ltd.

2001

James V W Hough

James V W Hough takes over as Managing Director and continues in his role for over 15 years until 2017.

2003

Acquisition of Adam Robertson & Co Ltd

2007

Purchased Gough Packaging and Roughway Converters trading under the name of Limehouse Board Mills Ltd.

2011

Gained FSC certification, reinforcing commitment to environmental policy.

2017

Shaun M Hough

Shaun M Hough takes over as Managing Director in 2017.

Expert customer support

Tell us what you need, and our expert team will work with you to find the perfect solution. If it's made of cardboard then we are the people to speak to!

Get in touch today to see how we can help.

sales@limehouse-board.co.uk 01376 519519

Our Heritage