Wrought Iron Architectural Metalwork
Designed & manufactured in the U.K
By: Chris Topp & Co Ltd, North Yorkshire
Tel: 01845 501415
Saltwell Park, based in the heart of Gateshead, is one of Britain's finest examples of a Victorian Park. It has been awarded the many prestigious awards. Known as the 'People's Park' and part of Gateshead's heritage since it opened to the public in 1876, the Park is steeped in history.
Thanks to a £10 million restoration project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Gateshead Council, Saltwell Park has undergone an amazing transformation that has seen it restored to all its Victorian splendour. Restoration was completed in 2005.
From mazes to monuments, fencing to footpaths, buildings to bandstands, this impressive Victorian park has undergone major changes to bring it back to its former glory.
At Chris Topp & Co we worked on the:
· Handrails to steps in a public park. Cast iron stanchions and wrought iron handrail with core rail.
· The Grade II listed Saltwell Towers – restoring the cast iron roof ridge decoration.
· We restored a weathervane.
· Dean Lodge gates built for the Vienna Exhibition of 1875, they were fully restored from rather poor condition.
· We also restored several other entrances, hundreds of yards of railing and made new railing to match the old.
· A rare survival, the aviary and the monkey house had have survived intact since Victorian times, but were in need of considerable overhaul as part of an HLF funded regeneration scheme. They were completely dismantled, and remade as original using materials as close as possible to those originally used within the constraints of availability. Thus, while much of the framing was replaced in puddled wrought iron, it was necessary to use stainless steel for tee sections not available in iron.
The aviary had been clad in welded mesh panels in recent years, and these were replaced with galvanized steel wire panels specially woven to an antique design. The meshes of the monkey house were of much more interest, being in large part the originals, made from lightweight sections of wrought iron. Many of them were, after perhaps 130 years, dilapidated but several were salvaged and made fit for re-use with components from the panels which were scrapped. Replacement panels, where used, were made as the originals but from mild steel, hot dip galvanized after assembly. New cast iron finials were designed in antique style. New cast iron finials were fitted in antique style.
