Printing and Creative Communications for 130 Years

Established in the historic city of Oxford for over 130 years, Holywell brings creative design, print and digital media together under one roof, providing an extensive range of high quality, cost-effective services to help organisations communicate online and offline.

our story

Holywell’s origins date back more than a century. Starting out as a traditional print business, we’ve kept pace with evolving communications technology so that today we can deliver innovative solutions that integrate print seamlessly with new media. With talented graphic designers, digital designers and print experts all working alongside each other in the same shared workspace, you’re assured of outstanding results and consistent reproduction of your branding across different media.

1890

Holywell was originally founded as a traditional print business in 1890 by Harry Burrows – great grandfather of current MD Ben – and Jack Doe. The business was located in the Chapel of St Mary in Catte Street and took its name from the nearby Holywell Rooms. In the early years, Holywell’s main customer was Oxford University, but the company also worked for Morris Motors, producing advertising material for some of its early models. Harry and William Morris (later Lord Nuffield) became personal friends.

1920

As the business expanded its services, publishing books by local authors and printing the Oxford University students’ magazine, ‘Isis’, Holywell outgrew its original Octagonal House premises and moved in 1920 to the Maclaren Gymnasium in Alfred Street. The new works provided room for expansion and the business prospered until the Second World War when paper became scarce.

1944

In 1944, William Frank Burrows took over the Press following the death of his father. At the outbreak of the war, Holywell narrowly avoided having its premises requisitioned following an intervention from Lord Nuffield who had persuasively argued for the value for the Press’s work to the war effort. Following the war the Press continued as University and commercial printers using the letterpress process to produce academic journals, books, commercial catalogues and a wide range of work for the Univerity.

1965

In 1965, Peter Burrows became the third generation of Burrows to head Holywell Press and and under his tenure the Press undertook a major modernisation programme, investing in new technology at a time of great technological innovation. A Heidelberg KORD SRA2 offset litho machine was purchased in 1969 and 1975 saw the installation of a Compugraphic Photosetter, which, while crude in today's terms (it had no disk drive), nevertheless provided a 400% increase in productivity over hot metal typesetting.

1989

In 1989, Holywell again relocated, this time to purpose-built premises on Osney Mead where we remain to this day. Holywell kept pace with the increasing pace of technological change and invested in five generations of new offset litho equipment including only the second five colour Sakurai press to be installed in the UK. Since Ben Burrows succeeded his father in 2000 the Press has added a Horizon BQ270V perfect binder enabling us to offer book printing on demand. A digital press offering short-run colour work was added.

today

Holywell continue to keep pace with technological change and invest in new techology and new skills. Our latest acquisitions are additions to the bindery line to increase efficiency and a Xerox Versant 2100 high resolution digital press meaning we can offer high-quality short run colour printing. Our design studio offers imaginative digital and print design using the latest Adobe Creative Suite software running on Apple computers.

our people

Holywell Press has been run by a member of the Burrows family for over 130 years. In 2000, Ben Burrows became the latest Burrows to take up the mantle and he has continued the company tradition of investing in up-to-date machinery and above all skilled and passionate staff. Ben has recently been joined by his eldest son, Oli, who will be helping to look after clients and drive new business.

We work closely with our customers as a partner rather than as a mere supplier. These partnerships are forged by our account manager and production manager – Robin and often Ben himself – who make sure clients are kept abreast of the progress of their projects, while Karen looks after invoicing and the office itself.

In the design studio, Toby and Grace combine creative design inspiration with careful attention to customers’ specific requirements. Their flights of imagination would remain just that were it not for the expertise, experience and craftsmanship of Chris in pre-press and, on the print floor, machine minder Gary, and John in the bindery.

All of us at Holywell love what we do and this is reflected in the work we produce and the long-term relationships we build with our customers.

“Holywell Press are undoubtedly the best printers we’ve ever worked with – the attention to detail is unparalleled. It seems that nothing is ever too much trouble. The whole process feels very personal, yet the service is also incredibly efficient. Print week is a time of enjoyable anticipation while we wait to see the latest iteration of the magazine. It is unfailingly a thing of great beauty.”

— Claire Lowdon, Areté Magazine

our values

Our core values are a reference point for all aspects of our work at Holywell, informing our day-to-day work, as well as the key business decisions we make.

environmentally aware – working responsibly

We respect the environment and strive to have as little impact on it as we are able, working with sustainable materials, recycling wherever possible, and using our own solar power system to help offset energy consumption.

customer focused – your partner not just your supplier

Developing lasting relationships with our customers and supporting them as a partner, not just as a supplier, is central to our business model. You’ll find our approach is friendly and proactive.

passionate, creative, innovative in everything we do

These values permeate all our work, and they are exercised at each stage of a project through design and production. We always seek to add value wherever we can.

investing in talent and technology to stay ahead

We know we are only as good as the people we employ and the technology we use. Holywell has always been committed to investing in the highest calibre of staff and the very latest equipment available.

best value with no compromise on quality

Value and quality are not mutually exclusive. Our goal is always to exceed customers’ expectations and we do this by adding value at every stage of a project, from creative concept through to delivery of the finished product.

some of our clients

Action Coach
The Admiralty
Archaeopress Publishing
Blavatnik School of Government
Bodleian Library
Brasenose College
Burford School
Christ Church College
COMPAS
Corpus Christi College
Cothill House School
Countryside Books
CRM Students
CT-Live!
The Fan Museum
Greene’s Education
The Guild of Television Camera Professionals
Labmedics
Magdalen College
Magdalen College School
Merton College
MGi
Middle East Centre, Oxford
Modern Art Oxford
New York Review of Books Foundation
Penny & Sinclair
The Queen‘s College
Rapid 7
Saïd Business School
School Library Association
SFA
Soap Co.
Sophos
St Antony’s College
St Clare’s Oxford
St Edward’s School
Stagecoach
The Sudanese Programme
SYMM
Tip Top Marquees
University of Oxford
Virus Bulletin
Worcester College
World Odyssey
Wytham Woods
ZEST
and many more ...

where to find us

Holywell press is conveniently located near the centre of Oxford and its main train station. Why not come and visit us? We are always happy to show you around the studio and the factory. You’ll find us tucked into a cosy corner of the Kings Meadow business estate just off the Ferry Hinksey Road.