After spending many years editing and producing books for publishers in London and Bath, we thought it was time to publish something ourselves. Where better to start than in one’s own town? Corsham in Focus and its successor on Devizes were intended as both keepsake and challenge; both are still available (as are the answers on this website). A Show of Hands then followed, inspired by Tim’s return to letterpress printing.

 

Tim was introduced to letterpress at the Whittington Press, where he spent two years as John Randle’s assistant prior to a career in publishing. The allure of  letterpress lay dormant until we moved to Corsham where, by pure chance, he discovered that an Albion press had been bequeathed to Bath Spa University and was sited at Corsham Court. The University appointed him a visiting research fellow, and Tim set about developing the Michael Turner Albion Press Room. He now works from his own studio, the Weavern Press, on the other side of town. Here – with the Albion on loan from the University – he continues to run non-vocational workshops for Bath Spa students and others interested in this endangered craft. 

 

Our imprint is named after an idyllic stretch of the Bybrook – or By Brook – that meanders nearby and is known locally as the Weavern (a corruption of  ‘wavering’). Following publication of Corsham: A Short History in 2025, we plan to produce other hand-printed books of primarily local interest.

 

Beverley and Tim Jollands​​​​​

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