A bit of Blackmore background

Blackmore seems to be part of the fabric of this part of Dorset, famous for Gold Hill, up which a young lad pushed a heavy bicycle laden with loaves in one of the most iconic television ads of the the 1970s. 

Blackmore was here then, a printer serving a customer base from surrounding towns and villages and producing the Blackmore Vale, a local advertising led publication that is still an integral part of local life. 

In its 125 or so years the printer has moved a few times, from a former watermill in nearby Gillingham for instance, to the present factory on top of the hill. 

There are reminders of the area’s heritage all around, from medieval churches to disused coach and petrol stations along the A30 when getting to Devon and Cornwall was harder than it is today.

Equally, along the A303, it is two hours from London and within striking distance of Bristol and Exeter.

The company was a pioneer with new generation UV printing, the first in the UK to install a B1 press for commercial rather than carton printing. It delivered high quality print on uncoated papers. That press has been replaced, but the ability to print with UV has been retained.

Now the area is home to food, hospitality and high tech businesses. Dorset claims to be the second fastest growing area for start ups and has a substantial technology sector.