Holywell Press

Holywell Press Ltd is an Oxford-based family printing and publishing company founded in 1890 by Harry Burrows and Thomas Doe. The business has remained under Burrows family management throughout its history, making continuity of ownership and local institutional relationships central features of its identity. Its name was taken from the Holywell Room in Oxford, reflecting the company's close association with the city from its earliest years. The company's first premises were located in the octagonal former Chapel of St Mary at the junction of Broad Street and Catte Street. The building is now part of Hertford College. As its printing activities expanded, Holywell Press moved in 1920 or 1921 to the Maclaren Gymnasium on Alfred Street, a site that provided substantially more working space. In 1989, it relocated again to a purpose-built factory on Ferry Hinksey Road at Osney Mead in west Oxford. Holywell Press has served a range of publishing and commercial customers. One of its best-known long-term relationships has been with the University of Oxford, including the printing of the university student magazine Isis over many years. The company also produced early advertising material for Morris cars. This connection was helped by the friendship between Harry Burrows and William Morris, the Oxford automobile manufacturer who later became Lord Nuffield. Its published work has included historical, academic, religious and natural-history titles. Examples cited in reference material include Geoffrey Bolton's History of the O.U.C.C. (1962), A. Philippou's edited volume The Orthodox Ethos (1964), Andrew S. N. Wright's The History of Buckland in the County of Berkshire (1966), and Humphry J. M. Bowen's The Flora of Berkshire (1968). These projects illustrate the company's role not only as a commercial printer but also as a producer of specialist books and institutional publications. In addition to printing and publishing, Holywell Press has provided branding-related assistance to local businesses and professionals. One cited example is its work supporting Oxford-based stone carver Alex Wenham when he moved from France to the United Kingdom. The company was most recently described as being run by Benjamin Burrows. Public reference material does not provide detailed financial information, employee figures, ownership percentages or a current corporate structure. Its documented profile is therefore that of an active, locally rooted Oxford printing and publishing business with a history spanning more than a century.

Holywell Press was established in Oxford in 1890 by Harry Burrows and Thomas Doe. From the beginning, it operated as a printing and publishing business connected to the city's academic, commercial and civic life. The name came from the Holywell Room in Oxford, providing a direct link between the company and its local setting. The firm's earliest premises were in the octagonal former Chapel of St Mary at the junction of Broad Street and Catte Street. That building is now incorporated into Hertford College. The original location placed the company close to the centre of Oxford and its university institutions. Growth in printing activity eventually required a larger site, and in 1920 or 1921 Holywell Press moved to the Maclaren Gymnasium on Alfred Street. The Burrows family remained involved in running the company throughout its existence. This family continuity was accompanied by long-standing institutional and commercial relationships. The University of Oxford became a major customer, and Holywell Press printed the university student magazine Isis for many years. The business also produced early advertising for Morris cars. Its founder Harry Burrows was a personal friend of William Morris, the Oxford industrialist and automobile manufacturer who later became Lord Nuffield, helping explain the connection between the printer and the Morris enterprise. By the twentieth century, Holywell Press was producing more than routine commercial print. Its output included books and specialist publications in fields such as local history, university history, religious studies and natural history. Documented examples include History of the O.U.C.C. by Geoffrey Bolton, published in 1962; The Orthodox Ethos, edited by A. Philippou and published in 1964; The History of Buckland in the County of Berkshire by Andrew S. N. Wright, published in 1966; and The Flora of Berkshire by Humphry J. M. Bowen, published in 1968. These titles show the company's participation in scholarly and regional publishing as well as its general printing work. A further relocation took place in 1989, when Holywell Press moved to a purpose-built factory on Ferry Hinksey Road at Osney Mead in west Oxford. The move gave the company premises designed for its industrial and production needs. The Osney Mead location also maintained its connection to Oxford while separating the operation from the constraints of its earlier central premises. The company has continued to present itself as a printing and publishing resource for organizations and individuals. Its documented services include help with branding, illustrated by assistance provided to Oxford-based stone carver Alex Wenham when he moved from France to the United Kingdom. This indicates an extension beyond production printing into practical support for business identity and presentation. The most recently identified member of the Burrows family to run the company is Benjamin Burrows. Publicly available reference material does not establish a precise current management roster, ownership structure, revenue, workforce size or detailed chronology of later product developments. Holywell Press is nevertheless documented as an active, family-run Oxford printing and publishing company whose history connects book production, university publishing, commercial advertising and local business support.

• 1989

  Move to Osney Mead

  [1]Holywell Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Holywell Press relocated to a purpose-built factory on Ferry Hinksey Road at Osney Mead in west Oxford.

• 1920

  Move to the Maclaren Gymnasium

  [1]Holywell Pressen.wikipedia.org

  In 1920 or 1921, the company moved to the Maclaren Gymnasium on Alfred Street to obtain substantially more printing space.

• 1890

  Company established

  [1]Holywell Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Harry Burrows and Thomas Doe founded Holywell Press in Oxford.

A locally rooted Oxford printing and publishing specialist combining long family continuity with book, institutional, commercial and branding work.

• Book printing and publishing

  Books and specialist publications

  Holywell Press has produced specialist books and publications covering university history, local history, religious studies and natural history. Documented examples include works published during the 1960s, demonstrating the company's role in scholarly and regional publishing as well as conventional print production.

• Institutional printing

  University and student publications

  The company has had a major customer relationship with the University of Oxford and printed the university student magazine Isis for many years. This work represents Holywell Press's role in recurring academic and institutional communications.

• Commercial printing and branding

  Commercial advertising and branding materials

  Holywell Press has produced commercial advertising and supported branding projects. Historical reference material records early advertising work for Morris cars, while a more recent example describes branding assistance for Oxford-based stone carver Alex Wenham.

1. 1Holywell Pressen.wikipedia.org