A publisher that has been based in Stroud for three decades is set to leave the town.

The History Press, the UK’s largest independent publisher of historical content, will move to Cheltenham after £300,000 of funding from Natwest.

Currently based at Brimscombe Port, the company has now bought a Grade II listed townhouse on St Georges Place.

Managing director Gareth Swain, publishing director Laura Perehinec and sales director Jamie Kinnear, bought The History Press in 2017.

They acquired the new property last year and embarked on a six-month long build programme to refurbish the former five-bedroom home. The completed building now includes open plan office space for up to 30 members of staff, meeting rooms and break out areas.

Mr Swain said: “The move to our new home in Cheltenham is an historic milestone for the business as it gives us a permanent base from which to grow and operate. We were previously tied into a long-term lease, but the acquisition will free up funds in the longer term, allowing us to invest in other key areas of the business.

“NatWest has been instrumental in this, providing the funding we needed to purchase the building we wanted. The Grade II listed building which we have transformed into a modern publishing office is the perfect metaphor for our business model of taking a modern-day approach to publishing history.”

James Gayer, relationship manager at NatWest, said: “The team behind The History Press are passionate about bringing stories of the past to life and, by working with well-known authors, have witnessed phenomenal growth to date.

"Our funding has helped them acquire a new and fit for purpose space and we are sure this will help set them on course for further success.”