Public Tour of St Bride Foundation

Behind Fleet Street

The historic home of British printing and publishing, St Bride Foundation cares for stories, skills, and collections that trace the history of print.

Join us for an opportunity to explore these collections up close and discover how printing shaped the way people shared ideas, news, and knowledge.

A Piece of History

A glimpse into the tools that shaped the world of print.

Step inside our atmospheric print workshop, where presses from the 18th to the 20th centuries still stand. Guided by our workshop team—including former Fleet Street printers and experienced craftspeople—you'll hear first-hand stories of the trade and see how printing worked in the days of hot-metal type.

You'll also visit the historic St Bride Library Reading Room, where our collections specialists will share a selection of treasures from the archive. Depending on the day, these may include ancient papyrus fragments dating from around 1200 BC, books printed by William Caxton in the 15th century, original typeface artwork by Edward Johnston, and design material by Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinneir, whose work helped shape Britain's road signs.

From centuries-old manuscripts to the machinery of Fleet Street, this is a chance to get closer to the people, objects, and ideas that have shaped the history of print.

Inside the print workshop

A look at the tools, type, and prints behind traditional letterpress printing.

Accessibility
Due to the constraints of our Grade II listed building, this workshop is currently accessible only via 14 steps from our 14 Bride Lane entrance. If you have any accessibility questions or would like to discuss your requirements, please contact events@sbf.org.uk and we'll be happy to help.

Ticket policy
Tickets are non-refundable. If your plans change, you may transfer your ticket to another person or reschedule your booking once. To request a change, please contact events@sbf.org.uk at least seven days before the event. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee any further amendments.

Private group workshops
We also offer private group workshops for organisations, teams, and groups of friends. Whether you're looking for a creative team-building activity or simply want to learn together, we can tailor a session to suit your interests. For details, please contact learning@sbf.org.uk.