'The town died when they closed the mill'

"When the mill shut, to me, Watchet died."

That's the belief of Steve Allen, who spent 24 years working at a paper mill in West Somerset that had operated from the same site since the 1650s.

Wansbrough Paper Mill in Watchet produced its final ream at Christmas in 2015, after it lost a large contract and was unable to comply with new demands on quality and pollution.

It spelled the end of what had been one of the area's biggest employers for centuries.

Now, a local project has been set up to look at the past, present and future of the site, which has been left abandoned for more than a decade.

The mill not only employed hundreds of people for 24 hours day, but it supported the local maritime and railway industries, as well as housebuilding and hospitality.

Flicking through old black and white pictures of the old factory, Allen said the mill ran deep in his life, as his father and grandfather also worked there.

"It's a tradition," he said.

"It was an empty feeling - when the mill shut, to me, Watchet died.

"It's a tourist place really, no industry here, which is a shame.

"We do survive, it's got a good community, there is a good community in Watchet, but it's not the same."

Bernard Woodbury, 76, said he started working at the mill in 1969 when he was a "long-haired yobbo", and was employed there for 45 years.

Among the stories he regales about the mill, Woodbury said a colleague once jumped in a pulper for a swim during one shift.

"If anybody turned it on, he'd have been mincemeat," he said.

"We used to have some good times... I still think they could have kept it going because there's not many paper mills left.

"I miss working with my mates - but I don't necessarily miss the work."

In the 10 years since it has closed, planning permission has been granted for homes, but nothing has ever been built, with the site in the ownership of a private development company based in London.

Woodbury would like to see a "nice sports centre, swimming pool and a few houses".

The future of the site is a topic of many conversations in the fishing town, and one Roger Hammond and his team are trying to solve.

As part of the coastal community team, he has been canvassing opinion on the site to secure the future of the site, as well as the town.

"We have a lot of housing coming into Watchet and the market is a bit low at the moment but we can't see it functioning properly without the right infrastructure to support it," he said.

"So we're looking at the mill site to maybe have... possibly a car park which is essential, doctor surgery and other amenities which will support the rest of the town.

"Until that point, I mean it's just, it is sat there."

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.