Stream Lion by Angela Goodman

Last week an unprecedented event took place here at Ironart.  Andy and some of the team downed their tools in the sweltering workshop and went round the corner to the Larkhall Inn!  No….not for a thirst quenching pint of 6X, but to hoist the beautifully decorated ‘Stream Lion’ into position over the door of the pub.  The Larkhall Lion will take pride of place in the village October 2010 as part of the Lions of Bath installation which incorporates 100 lifesize hand decorated beasts all over the city.

Larkhall Inn, Bath

Sponsorship of the Larkhall Lion was co-ordinated by Ifor from the Tasting Rooms, who collaborated with 14 of the independent traders in Larkhall (of which Ironart is one) with the aim of promoting the village and the great community spirit that exists in this corner of Bath. It is hoped that the Lion will raise a large chunk of money for local charities when it is auctioned in the City in October. 

Our lion was designed by local artist Angela Goodman “I was really excited to be able to work on one so close to home”, said Angela. “The ‘Streamlion’ idea reflects the historical associations that Larkhall has with water. With several historical streams, the Deadmill and our very own Spa, we wanted the Lion to reflect the beauty and importance that water has in our lives and in our village.”

Jason looks unperturbed at the prospect of wrestling with a lion

Belcombe Court, Bradford on Avon, Wilts

On Sunday 30th May Belcome Court, in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire hosted an Open Gardens day in aid of the Red Cross. Belcome Court is truly stunning and only open to the public once per year. On a beautiful sunny day this May the event drew a crowd of over 750 visitors, and raised over £3,500 for the Red Cross. Ironart’s wrought iron benches and chairs were on display, alongside stalls from Kate Lucas garden bunting to delicious ice-creams, with music by Opera singer Meeghan Shillington. Well done to everyone who worked so hard to make the event a success, and Ironart’s thanks go to Jenny Napier-Ford who is head gardener at Belcombe Court for inviting us to attend.

Belcombe Court Open Day, May 2010

The Garden Players perform Much Ado About Nothing in front of the Royal Crescent, Bath

There were three open air performances over the weekend, with sell-out shows raising valuable funds for two charities: The Child Bereavement Charity and Children with Leukaemia. Each performance offered something slightly different, with good food and drink, entertainment, music, charity raffle and dancing under the stars. On the Sunday afternoon Colin and his wife Rachel Clarkson-Cooke extended an invitation to all for ‘Summer Serenade on the Lawn’. The screen looked fantastic and we were really pleased that the cast made good use of Ironart wrought iron seating with the gothic bench taking centre stage for most of the performance!

Summer Serenade on the Lawn, Royal Crescent, Bath

Victoria Park Gazebo detail

Our wrought iron furniture and garden structures were very well received, with the gazebo earning high praise, and the braziers particularly popular again, partially thanks to the chilly north wind and rain which persisted during the show.

Wrought iron fluted brazier

  The RHS judges at Malvern were impressed with Andy’s new screen and the presentation and planting on the stand and we were awarded a bronze medal for our efforts. Special thanks go to Judith and Francis Green at Somerset Lavender Farm in Faulkland near Bath, and Lorraine Young at Downside Nursery in Westwood for the generous loan of the stunning flowers and shrubs. We would have been stuck without them! 

Rosemary, catmint and lavender from Somerset Lavender Farm, Faulkland, Nr Bath

Rich red acer with hebe from Downside Nursery, Westwood, Nr Bradford on Avon

Malvern Spring Flower show is well worth visiting if you have never been, the organization is superb and there was a lot to see and do. We’re all relieved it went well and the shows are behind us for the summer as the workshop is really busy at the moment and there is a lot to do!

May was an exciting month at Ironart – after weeks of planning and preparation (and a few heated debates) we set up our ‘new look’ stand at the Bath Spring Flower Show in Victoria Park. The show ran over the early May bank holiday weekend and it gave us a valuable chance to meet existing and new customers and show off our full range of wrought iron garden furniture and garden structures at the start of the gardening season. We exhibited a wide range of products including wrought iron garden chairs, benches and tables, painted in a range of colours from the Ironart collection. 

Martin and Andy setting up the beautiful new screen!

Andy and Martin erecting the gazebo on site

 Our pretty gazebo was a real talking point on the stand, as were the two brazier designs on display, and many keen gardeners snapped up obelisk plant supports to add height and structure to their herbaceous borders. Andy had designed three new hanging basket brackets this spring which really finished the stand off.  The weather wasn’t brilliant, but the show was great fun and gave us a chance to give Andy’s ingenious new backdrop screens an outing before exhibiting at our first ever RHS show at Malvern the following week.

Finished result! The Ironart stand at the Bath Spring Flower Show

And we were absolutely delighted to win a cup for the presentation of our stand this year. Thanks go to everyone at Ironart for all their hard work and patience getting everything ready for the show, this one is for you guys!

A large silver cup for our stand at the show!

In order to make puddled wrought iron Chris Topp recycles the original material, everything from disused bridges to old railings and huge ship chains. The team rework the metal through a sequence of processes. Andy took some footage and shots of the team at work demonstrating their techniques.

Furnace gas powered with blowers to heat the reclaimed metal.

After it has been in the furnace, the wrought iron is pulled out onto a trolley by members of the team.

Creating genuine puddled wrought iron

The next image shows a curved section of reclaimed ship chain link under the 5cwt power hammer.

The next image shows reclaimed wrought iron bars being firewelded together in the forge.

Firewelding the reclaimed ingots in the forge at Chris Topp & Co

CLICK HERE  to take you to our Youtube footage showing the power hammer at work, flattening a piece of ship’s chain so that it can be recycled as puddled wrought iron.

CLICK HERE to take you to footage of the water cooled rolling mills.

CLICK HERE to see footage of firewelding to extend puddled wrought iron bar.

Martin said of his Chris Topp & Co day…”It was really informative. I still can’t believe how simple and uncomplicated the process was. The only modern piece of equipment used in the process were the water cooling rolls. Otherwise they are still re-working metal the way they would have done 200 years ago.”

For more information on Chris Topp & Co Ltd go to www.christopp.co.uk/

Bill, Frances, Andy, Emmy and Oscar

 Nic and Andy took Emmy and Oscar north to visit their grandparents Bill and Frances Atkins at the Yorke Arms over Easter. Andy stuffed the Ironart van full of wrought iron furniture to take with them, and luckily Nic remembered her camera!

Frances and Oscar

Bill and Frances have created a unique and wonderful destination ‘Restaurant with rooms’ at the Yorke Arms. Nestled in North Yorkshire’s Nidderdale valley in the village of Ramsgill, the place is a foodie’s paradise in a breathtakingly stunning location, drawing visitors from all over the world thanks to the reputation they have earned through their dedication and talent. Frances is an outstandingly accomplished chef, and has five consecutive Michelin stars to her name. If you have never been to this part of the world, book a date in your diary to visit now, you will never regret it. Go to: www.yorke-arms.co.uk for more info.

Emily at the Yorke Arms

Luckily for us, Bill and Frances were keen to incorporate some Ironart furniture in the landscape and gardens of the Yorke Arms this spring. Frances has a real eye for colour and a great flair for design, she sells an eclectic range of gifts, paintings and other items within the Yorke Arms to guests and visitors. All the Ironart pieces shown here are for sale. We think our wrought iron designs look fantastic in such an esteemed setting, and hope you agree.

Two seat gothic bench

Ironart furniture at the Yorke Arms

Ironart Brazier, in the veg garden at the Yorke Arms

Emily in a Lansdown chair

Bath Preservation Trust logo

Ironart recently became corporate members of the Bath Preservation Trust – we are very supportive of the work that the trust do. The trust was set up in 1934 to safeguard the historic city of Bath. Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the only complete city in the UK afforded World Heritage Status. The purposes of the Trust are:

- to encourage and support the conservation, evolution and enhancement of Bath and its environs within a framework appropriate both to its historic setting and its sustainable future, and
- to provide educational resources which focus on the architectural and historic importance of the city.
The Trust receives no statutory funding and is supported by around 1400 members who share a passion for the city and its environs.

Follow this link to the Bath Preservation Trust’s learning website www.bptlearning.org.uk  where you’ll find details on their current exhibitions and future events.

To find out more about Bath Preservation Trust and the work that they do go to: www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk

For the past ten years we’ve enjoyed working with Electromation, a very reliable local company who specialise in gate automation and access control equipment. Electromation supply to both commercial and domestic clients all over the South West. They supply and fit automation to many of the new gates that we make here at Ironart, but can also fit to your existing gates. Electromation also supply and fit car park security barriers and rising bollards. 
For more information speak to Tim on 01225 742100 or visit their website.