LIVERYMAN SIMON TREWIN'S BELL HOUSE PRINT ROOM & BINDERY AWARDED NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND GRANT
30 OCTOBER 2025
The Bell House Print Room & Bindery in Dulwich Village has been awarded a significant National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to expand its community engagement and creative education programmes.
Co-founded by Liveryman Simon Trewin, literary agent and heritage crafts advocate, together with artist and designer Tania Hurt-Newton, the studio has become a beacon for traditional letterpress printing and bookbinding in South London. Working in collaboration with the charitable trust at Bell House, the Print Room has helped hundreds of visitors reconnect with the tactile joy of ink, paper, and type.
The new grant will enable the team to develop a wider range of inclusive, heritage-focused workshops and to reach new audiences through partnerships with local schools, charities, and creative organisations. The funding also supports investment in specialist equipment, ensuring that endangered crafts such as letterpress printing and bookbinding continue to thrive in a modern context.
Simon Trewin, Co-Creative Director of the Bell House Print Room & Bindery, said:
“This award is a transformative moment for us. Our mission has always been to unlock creativity — to show that traditional printing isn’t about nostalgia, but about connection, wellbeing, and imagination. Thanks to the Heritage Fund, we can open our doors even wider and share these skills with people who might never otherwise encounter them.”
Since its launch, the Bell House Print Room & Bindery has hosted artists in residence, masterclasses in typography, and demonstrations for visiting groups from across the UK. The new phase of the project will see the creation of a new shared workshop space, further collaborations with heritage bodies and printmakers as well as building the widest possible community for what they do.
Simon and Tania have printed 'live' in Common Hall on a number of occasions and recently created a special bookmark to help celebrate publication of Helen Esmonde and Margaret Willes book The City unlocked
Simon would love to hear from members of the company who would like to hear more about working with Bell House.
IMAGES attached - pictured are Simon Trewin and Tania Hurt-Newton, Bell House, the print studio etc.