Within Britain, Chris Topp and Company of Carlton Husthwaite near Thirsk, is known as one of the leading designers and manufacturers of bespoke ironwork. Now the reputation of this 30 year old rural blacksmith company is spreading in America where it has several clients, one of which has just won a prestigious design award.

It has helped Carhart Mansion in New York to win a coveted Architectural Excellence award in producing the ironwork frontage and gates to their new landmark building on Carnegie Hill. The New York Sun described it as 'quite simply one of the best new buildings in Manhattan in the last half century' which enhances the heritage landscape of this historic area of New York.

Says Chris Topp: 'The design had to be eye catching yet in keeping with the architectural period style of the adjoining main building which is in the Beaux Arts tradition of 18^th century French Classicism. As probably the leading company in Britain for the restoration of historic ironwork, we have considerable experience in design of that period and this probably helped us secure this work. We were well pleased with our efforts and so now, it appears, are the American public'.

Adds Chris: 'We have recently been commissioned to produce ironwork for the British Memorial Gardens in central New York, a project which is very exciting for a relatively small Yorkshire blacksmith company like ours. When this is formally announced, it will further enhance our reputation in America' he says.