Chris Topp and Co hosts Heritage Group at their workshop - Members News - Blogs

Chris Topp and Co hosts Heritage Group at their workshop

Posted by Chris Topp on 28th March 2011.

Chris Topp & Co are well known in the restoration world for restoring ancient ironwork and they recently hosted a morning workshop for architects and conservation officers as part of a three day course run by the National Ironwork Heritage Group – NHIG, that was based at the Kings Manor in York. Complex restoration projects often go out to competitive tender, but someone has to write these tenders and therefore have the correct knowledge to be able to specify the techniques and materials to be used.

There is a knowledge gap and the NHIG offered this course to architects, surveyors or conservation professionals to equip them with the essential facts needed for the writing of restoration specifications.

The participants came from all over the country; they were shown several restoration projects they are currently working on, including the restoration of the ‘Golden Gates’ from Elvaston Castle. These gates were erected in 1819 at the south end of the castles formal gardens. They were brought from the Palace of Versailles by Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington, and were a good illustration for the group to appreciate that the specification for repairs is very important. The repair work, once done using the correct materials and techniques, should last a hundred years with only routine maintenance. If inferior materials and modern day methods is used you may have to do the work again in only thirty years – sometimes less.

Chris Topp & Company has the distinction of being the only blacksmith company in the world today still rolling and supplying genuine wrought iron.

As such this rural north Yorkshire company, employing a unique team of traditional craftsmen, regularly undertakes commissions to restore ancient works of wrought iron work in parks, cathedrals and great buildings in this country.

Chris Topp & Co Ltd, founded in 1980 started as blacksmiths, specialising in ancient ironwork, have expanded to become prominent in the world of high quality architectural metalwork.

Find Chris Topp and Co in the Products Directory here...

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