Most production took place in the basement, as this was where the hydraulic wheels that powered some of the paper mill's machines were housed.
Paper-making by hand was a slow, laborious process. The raw materials consisted of old rags, ropes, nets, sails and so on, which were shredded into pulp. With this pulp the sheets were made one by one. With the exception of the drying and finishing processes, the rest of the manufacturing process took place in the basement.