10 July 2025: Lancashire’s own Charles and Camilla take us on a tour of Preston’s oldest paper mill, where they run their traditional manufacturing company Roach Bridge Tissues.

Go inside one of Preston’s oldest working mills, which has been used as a paper factory since 1875.

Camilla and Charles Hadcock set up Roach Bridge Tissues in 1999 - but it had previously been owned and operated as a traditional working paper mill by her grandfather.

Camilla explains: “Roach Bridge Paper Mill was owned and run by my grandfather until he died in 1979 and then for 20 odd years it went out of family ownership and when the paper mill went into liquidation in 1999, we bought one of the printing machines and one of the sheeting machines and we started a company.”

The Samlesbury business is the last mill on the River Darwen.

And while other types of manufacturing have been digitalised, this is not possible for this family-run business. Camilla describes the machinery as ‘dinosaurs’ and ‘old workhorses’, in the video above.

During a tour of the paper mill, Camilla says: “You can't really print tissue paper digitally. It just doesn't work. It's too fine. It just rips. It's a very slow and steady process printing tissue paper.”

Roach Bridge Tissues specialise in bespoke printed tissue paper, and supply to many luxury brands and well known stores across Europe.

They make packaging that is fully recyclable and biodegradable, using environmentally friendly water-based inks.

Camilla adds: “In the old days, everything was wrapped in tissue paper. There was always a layer between everything. But I think now it is just, it just gives a little bit of an extra luxury, just gives that sort of special feel to it when, when things come wrapped in it.”

By Lucinda Herbert, Lancashire Post.

Watch the video tour https://www.lep.co.uk/news/inside-prestons-oldest-paper-mill-roach-bridge-tissues-5217550