The paper works were open by 1872 producing 200 tons of printing and writing paper per week. Fred Miller (former manager of Ford Paper Mill) was the first Managing Director at Hendon. 18,000 tons of esparto grass was imported from Spain and North Africa per year. In 1873 there was a complaint under the Public Health Act regarding black smoke from the chimneys damaging trees and shrubs. In 1876 there was a complaint regarding 'offensive water' flowing across Hendon Beach. By 1887 the mill was producing 150 tonnes of paper a week.

By 1902 the mill had become the largest paper mill in the north of England and had supplemented esparto grasas with wood pulp. Water for the mill was drawn from a well within the works and another from a pumping station in Leechmere Road, Grangetown. Within the complex of buildings was a reservoir with further reservoirs were located to the south of the buildings. These were used to control the quality of the copious amounts of water needed for making paper and for power generation.

In 1902 and still in 1915 William Aitken was the secretary of the works. He lived at Hendon Grange, a building to the south of the main complex, adjacent to the reservoirs.

Between 1923 and 1939 the mill was rebuilt, electrified and modernised. During and after WW2 the mill made more lower quality paper from waste paper and straw and became a big producer of duplicating paper. Wood pulp was imported from Scandinavia.

By 1940 Hendon Grange was used as offices. Hendon Grange was demolished in 2002-3. Numerous alterations were made to the site from 1974 onwards including a new boiler house, steel chimney (1979-1980) and reel store (1999-2000). In 1998 the reservoirs in the south-west corner of the site were filled in and converted to a car park. The paper works ceased production in 2005. The buildings at the northern end of the paper works were still in use in 2010 by the Edward Thompson Group who owned the paper works since 1981.

The C19 grass boiler house, turbine house and chimney and the C20 chemical house, beater house, machine house and finishing house were recorded before demolition in 2017.

Farm shown on First Edition Ordnance Survey plan, 1857. Extant in 1940. Now demolished.

Cleg House and Cleg Well shown on First Edition Ordnance Survey plan, 1857. Renamed as Cleggwell House by 1897. The well and house were still extant by 1940.

Police and fire station shown on the second edition ordnance survey plan, 1898. By 1940 the building is labelled as Park Lodge. Demolished sometime after 1967 for the creation of the motorway.

Building to east of Benwell Tower shown on First Edition Ordnance Survey 1859. A 1913 photograph revealed that the building was a glass-sided gazebo. It was still extant in 1937.

Pond shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey plan 1859. Gone by 1919.

Ben Well shown on First Edition Ordnance Survey 1859. Still shown on 4th edition plan 1937.

Attractive terrace in colliery brick. There is a path to the front with tall trees to the moor. Distinguished, visually appealing buildings with high quality architecture.

Vast coachworks built to the east of Wallace Street, behind Chimney Mill by 1939. Now replaced by Windmill Court.

Several historic lampposts line the hospital's east drive (outside New Villas and the rear of Hunter's Place).