projects

Avenham Park : Preston

A significant part of this project involved the design, production and installation of bespoke ‘bamboo design’ cast iron railings to the perimeter of the historic Japanese Gardens within Avenham and Miller Parks in Preston.

In addition to the previously described work on this project, Lost Art Limited also conducted further work including the production and installation of signage, urns, further styles of railing and repairs to a number of gates as well as reproducing 2 cannons dating from the siege of Sebastapol in the Crimean War, designing and installing a replacement for a lost Victorian drinking fountain.

Concurrent to the work within the parks, Lost Art Limited have also worked on Avenham Walk, a residential setting adjacent to Avenham and Miller Parks in Preston. The original Victorian railings that surrounded the area had been removed and replaced with inferior quality metal fencing that was not in keeping with the architecture or period of the surrounding houses and that had deteriorated in condition, which was representative of the general state of decay of the overall landscaping and furnishings of the area. Lost Art Limited were contracted to reproduce the original railings that had been present in the Victorian period and to install the railings.

The first stage of this section the project involved the procurement of historical images of the original installations which, having been obtained provided the basis for the production of patterns for the cast iron components of the railings. Two types of railing were identified, a fencing panel type and a smaller section that was lead set into the stone copings of a wall at the entrance to the area.

The patterns produced were submitted to the client for approval before being transported to the foundry for production of the cast iron components. Following casting of the cast iron railing sections these were then shot-blasted and fettled to ensure that there was high definition to the detail of the castings before being primed and painted at the Lost Art Limited workshop.

Having been fully prepared the components were transported to site and the long-run railings were assembled before being lead set into position. Similarly the coping set smaller railings were lead set into fixing holes which had been core drilled into the stone copings.

As mentioned earlier in the description of this project, the general area of the works had been in a state of decline prior to the restorative work and in addition to the railings work described, Lost Art Limited also restored or replaced with identical reproductions a number of historic design Victorian cast iron benches plus the production and installation of cast iron bollards to match the originally installed pattern.

Working in conjunction with both the Heritage Lottery Fund and Preston City Council, Lost Art Limited produced a unique design for a bamboo themed cast iron railing that surrounds the distinctive area of the park. The design fulfilled the brief, in that it was period sympathetic, using a material that was appropriate to the historical background of the setting and that would also withstand the requirements of railings within a modern urban park, as well as reflecting the character of the setting in which it was to be placed. The design was also sympathetic to and reflective of the Victorian tradition of ‘rustic design’ landscape furnishings, which can still be seen in a number of Victorian Parks, where what were then modern materials, were used to reflect the triumph of Man over nature by using those materials to recreate the appearance of a natural product.

Having submitted a design which was acceptable to both the Heritage Lottery Fund and Preston City Council, and devised a system by which the railings could be assembled, Lost Art Limited then sourced a number of examples of bamboo from which casting patterns could be produced. Having produced examples of the bamboo sections in cast iron and demonstrating how they would be assembled into sections of fencing, Lost Art Limited then supervised the casting processes for the production of the railing components. it should be noted that, superficially the individual components may appear identical but viewing the railings in situ will reveal that they contain five different component sections of bamboo and that this gives the railing sections a more natural appearance than would otherwise be the case if the pattern were merely repetitive.

The individual cast iron components of the railing sections were prepared, primed and painted at Lost Art’s workshop then assembled into full sections on site before being given a final coating of paint.

It should also be noted that, in addition to the railing sections, Lost Art Limited were also commissioned to design produce and install gates that complemented the bamboo design railings.

The work on these railings was completed on time and on budget.