**Twelveheads Press ** was an independent publishing company based in Chacewater near Truro, Cornwall, UK. Best known for their Cornish Heritage series but also well known by scholars and enthusiasts for their transport and mining books: the firm took its name from the nearby hamlet of Twelveheads.

History and philosophy

Founded by Michael Messenger and John Stengelhofen in 1977 they have been producing high quality books for over 40 years. Their specialist books include topics such as maritime, mining and railway history, and mostly cover the areas of Cornwall and Southwest Britain. In 1988 Messenger and Stengelhofen were joined by Alan Kittridge and all three have contributed significantly to their titles. John Stengelhofen died in 2020 and it was decided to cease trading from the end of 2022. Michael Messenger stated: "Twelveheads Press is not a conventional publishing house in the usual sense, but three friends who publish subjects that interest us. Our knowledge ensures that the books are authentic and accurate. Whilst we try not to lose money on books because we do not rely on Twelveheads Press for our living we can afford to reject manuscripts that are not to the standards we want and expect. It is only the support of the reading public that has kept us in business for over 30 years."

Titles for Cornwall County Council

The following titles were produced by Historic Environment Service (formerly Cornwall Archaeological Unit) for Cornwall County Council

Railway titles

Twelveheads titles focus on studies of railways in Cornwall, Devon and Wales

Maritime titles

Mining & Quarrying titles

Other titles

Heritage Series

Standard Book Number

The Twelveheads Press has the following 13-digit ISBN code: 978 0 906294 (followed by xxx y)