A fire occurred at Messrs Ashdown and Hobday’s Paper Mill, Buckland early on Sunday morning by which the whole of the mill and the adjoining dwelling house were destroyed. A more terrible conflagration as regards the extent of the damage and the rapidity with which the flames did their destructive work has not occurred in Dover for many years. The fire was discovered by Mr. R. Smith a telegraphist from the General Post Office, who was going home. The fire then was of a very small dimension and was breaking out in the north end of the mill nearest Mr. Leney’s field. He at once gave the alarm to Police Constable Bowles and they at once aroused Mr. Ashdown and his family who were in the dwelling house adjoining the mill at the end farthest from the fire. In the meantime Sergeant Steven’s had joined Police Constable Bowles and they having secured help, the hose reel which is located at Buckland Brewery was quickly brought up.

Mr. Ashdown, as soon as he could dress, rushed down and looked out and he states that the mill was then burning rapidly but at the farther end. Their was no immediate danger to the inmates of the house but he ran back and urged them to prepare escape and looking out a few minutes later he found that the flames had caught the whole of the wooden part and were rapidly approaching the house. The family in the house consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Ashdown, four children, two girls and two boys between the ages of five and eleven, and the servant. They all safely left the building and were taken to Mrs. Ashdown’s mother, Mrs. Joyce at Laureston Place and fortunately none the worse for their fright.

Very quickly the whole of the Dover Fire Brigade and gear was on the spot. The hose reel which at first been brought was fixed to a hydrant in the road and later another was brought and fixed in the same way at the back of the mill so that the fire was played upon front and back. Unfortunately the hydrant in London Road only yielded a very week supply for some time. The new fire engine was brought up by Packham’s horses with plenty of help and a good supply of water on the spot, it did good service. The main part of the building was a large spacious structure of two floors built of wood. A portion of it dates from 1814 when it was rebuilt after a fire that destroyed the original building. The wood being old and dry it may be naturally supposed that when it got a start it went rapidly. It is stated by the spectators that within half an hour after the fire got hold of the wooden structure it fell in with a crash sending the sparks in every direction and paper flying in sheets that threatened the surrounding premises.

The Brigade kept manfully at their work directed with spirit and good judgement by Superintendent Sanders who is a capital officer in an emergency. There was no great trouble in keeping off the crowd at first for everyone who came up was employed. Later on Buckland and Charlton were aroused and but for the timely aid of a detachment of 200 men of the Royal Artillery under Major Pym and Lieutenant Moreland the work of the brigade would have been impended. The task of the firemen was rather risky for there was continually something falling and masses of fire flying about and unfortunately Constable J. Cook was rather seriously cut about by falling debris while shifting a hose to a new position. It was not till about six o’clock that the fire could be said to be got under, it had left the whole of the space covered by the big wooden mill a burning mass on the ground.

It had worked its way through the machinery rooms licked up everything that would burn and left the ironwork of the engines and paper making machines a twisted and distorted wreck. Even the new part of the mill with brick walls and iron casements had gone down and the last part caught was the dwelling house. During the first part of the conflagration a keen north wind blew which forced the flames forward until the whole of the mill and the house were in flames. After that the wind turned and that accounts for the house suffering least. The whole of the top rooms are burnt but the lower part is chiefly damaged by the heat and water and a little building on the side next the vicarage used as a fitters shop escaped with but little damage.

The fire kept burning all day on Sunday and on Monday it was smouldering and even on Wednesday when Messrs Ashdown and Hobday’s foreman took us over there was still fire then. It will be recollected that Mr. Charles Ashdown (son) who has had the mill for 30 years retired about eight years ago when his son Charles became the senior partner in the firm in conjunction with Mr. Hobday. They soon began some extensive alterations. Adding a large quantity of the newest paper making machinery and introduced a great deal of new steam power as the water power from the river when utilised by the best invented processes is not anything like enough to meet the requirements of the works.

They had got into full swing in the new order of things and were turning out large orders for wholesale houses and had just entered on a considerable contract for the Indian Office. The well-known Nethercourt Paper is made at this mill also the Mazlewood and East Kent Fine and many other sorts. They also did a large trade in paper bags. The whole of the alterations had been completed a year or two and the mill was doing a large business when this sad calamity occurred. Anyone who knew the mill and the state of perfection to which it had been brought by the untiring exertions of the two partners would find a striking contrast in going over it now.

The north of the mill where rags were stored at the top floor and packing going on below is all blackened, lot of rags mixed up with blackened lumps which had been left on Saturday last, fine finished paper.

Travelling on we came to the machinery. The large boiler is stripped of its casing and the tall chimney shaft cracked. The hydraulic press cracked through in its thickest part. The paper bag making machine and printing machine now heaps of rusting iron, the vats where the where the rags were treated with chemicals stand. The building round them is gone and a portion of the rag pulp that filled them on Saturday night is still there. In the next room where there are five pairs of rag washing and rag beating machines, all is gone but the iron and stone beds. The machines, which are of the most approved make built by Piper of Maidstone, are practically destroyed. Fortunately the inflammable chemicals were outside the range of the fire and only the outsides of the tubs were scorched.

Passing from the washing machines we noticed the remains of the large wooden water tank, which supplied the whole mill. It was capable of holding 700 gallons. This no doubt had a damping effect on the fire for it was quite full of water but the wood of this water tank was almost all burnt.

In passing we noticed one engine of 14-horse power that was not very much damaged but the main engine that works up to 50 indicated horsepower is completely destroyed by the action of the fire. This engine worked the paper machine as well as the glassing rolls, rag dusters, rag choppers, rag washers and beaters, printing machine and paper bag machine.

The glassing room and rolls are all a wreck but there are heaps of paper that the fire has not been able to penetrate, many useless. The rag chopping machines were on the top floor and in coming down they have turned over and lie in a heap.

The most pitiful wreck is the papermaking machine, which is a long apparatus of above seventy skeleton reels along which the paper travels after leaving the pulp vats in the process of drying until it is cut off by the cutting machine. This is situated in a new brick building nearest the road. The whole of this large machine has been enveloped in a fiery furnace and is consequently twisted and damaged beyond repair. In short the mill is destroyed and the fifty hands who have found employment there are thrown out of work and if the re-building should be commenced at once it is feared that a year will elapse before paper will be made their again. So far nothing is settled.

Mr. Hobday who has not been well for some time is so upset by the disaster that no plans can yet be adopted for the future. Temporary offices have been opened at 174, London Road near the mill. The pecuniary loss to the partners will be great but not crushing.

The damage exceeds £7,000. They are insured in the Patriotic General Commercial Union, Glasgow and Equitable and London and Provincial Insurance Companies but not for amounts that fully cover the costs. (1887)