Dartmoor art studio resurrects 'endangered art form' with oldest letterpress in the country

Emma Hogbin demonstrates a rare printing press at her studio on Dartmoor

An art studio on Dartmoor is keeping an old tradition alive thanks to a rare hand-powered printing press.

For hundreds of years, letterpress was the primary way to print and distribute information.

As technology moved on, digital printing inevitably took over. But taking a look inside the Princetown Press studio on the edge of Dartmoor is like stepping back in time.

Emma Hogbin said: "Letterpress is on the endangered heritage crafts list, and that means that within two generations we don't expect this craft to exist any more.

"One of the problems is the equipment itself. All of the type cabinets that are behind me represent a whole manufacturing process. And that manufacturing process is also at risk."

Emma is among a group of artists and crafters attempting to keep the tradition of letterpressing alive.

During Devon Open Studios, which ran throughout September, she demonstrated a rare hand-powered printing press, believed to be the last of its kind anywhere in the world."No-one knows how it still works, so we're working it out with other engineers, using information from people who have similar presses.

"It's incredibly unique, and that's pretty special to be a custodian of this press, to be able to keep it going, to make sure it's in good condition so that a future generation can also enjoy it."