This year we were delighted to be part of an important refurbishment project undertaken by the Bath Preservation Trust at Beckford’s Tower and Museum on Lansdown, a high plateau on the Northern side of the City of Bath. Beckford’s Tower sits high on the landscape overlooking Bath – it’s a unique building and a key landmark in our area. It was built between 1826 and 1827 for William Beckford (1760-1844) and once housed one of the greatest collections of art, furniture and books in Georgian England.
In October 2022 the Bath Preservation Trust commenced a £3.9million refurbishment on Beckford’s Tower and Museum which was funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other public and private funders. The scope of this project went beyond essential repairs to encompass reimagining the museum and installing renewable energy sources, plus a full excavation of a hidden grotto. Earlier this year in June, Beckford’s Tower and Museum was reopened to the public.
The Ironart team were tasked with a portfolio of projects around the tower, the most significant of which was the reinstatement of a series of cast iron window grilles to match the two remaining, original examples on the building. We worked alongside Bath-based building restoration contractors Emery. We have been fortunate to have collaborated with the Emery’s team on multiple projects, their business like ours, is independent and long-established in the City.
Dr Amy Frost of The Bath Preservation Trust says of our work,
“Only 2 of the original iron grilles from the building survived and it has been a long held wish to restore the original window layout and reinstate the grilles. Having thought about it and planned it for so long, seeing Ironart fitting the first ones to the windows was a very exciting moment. I can’t get over how brilliant the grilles are, and how right they look on the building.
Knowing that almost every window opening on the 1827 Tower building are slightly different in size, it’s been a lot of work for Ironart to make and fit the grilles. Andy and the team’s dedication to their craft and the extraordinary skill they have brought to this project has been apparent throughout. As has the clear enjoyment that they take in their work.”
We also made and installed new ironwork around the site to facilitate access for visitors, comprising a spiral handrail to the tower basement; gates, railing and handrails to the newly opened grotto and some simple estate railings.
This was a prestigious project engaging the many and varied skills of the full Ironart team and it was great to be involved.
